Indonesia's rights groups urge parliament not to pass military law

19/3/2025 16:04

Rights groups in Indonesia on Wednesday urged parliament to reject contentious revisions of military laws, saying they would take the archipelago back to an era of military domination and create legal uncertainty.



Indonesia's parliament is set to pass the law on Thursday in a plenary council after the house committee overseeing military approved the changes, which will allow armed forces personnel to hold more civilian posts.



Rights groups and student organisations called for protests outside the parliament on Thursday.



Rights group Legal Aid Institute said the revision would pull Indonesia back 30 years to an era where the late strongman Suharto used the military to dominate civilian affairs and crush dissent in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.



"The revision is a legislative crime that threatens Indonesians and the future of democracy," said Arif Maulana, deputy chair of the institute.



Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, a former special forces commander and Suharto's former son-in-law, has expanded the armed forces' role since taking office in October.



The government defends the bill saying it incorporated concerns and watered it down by stipulating that military officers must first resign before being placed in most civilian roles.