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rom providing paramilitary training for civilians to setting up regional defense offices and a defense intelligence agency, many policies at the Defense Ministry have raised concerns about threats to democratic civilian control.

Pro-democracy activists have questioned Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu for “instigating public anxiety” through his policies, which they say will not only encourage horizontal conflict but also revive military control over civilians.

Among the policies is the state defense program, deemed the most damaging for the public because civilians participate in it and, regardless of their track record, are trained to use weapons.

“Who can guarantee that civilians will not use their new skills against each other?” said Al Araf, executive director of Jakarta-based human rights watchdog Imparsial, on Monday.

With growing negative sentiments against minority groups, particularly the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LBGT) community, weapon-handling skills could lead to civilians imposing vigilante actions on communities deemed a threat to social order, said Al Araf.

The Defense Ministry officially kicked off the state defense program nationwide in October last year, with the aim of nurturing nationalism in the hearts of all civilians. The program faced criticism as soon as it was introduced to the public and opposition voices continue to mount, hitting their peak recently following the inclusion of thugs and members of mass organizations deemed problematic in the training, including the weapons training.

According to the head of training and education at the Defense Ministry, Maj. Gen. Hartind Asrin, weapons training is part of the curriculum that has been prepared to guide the implementation of the program all across the archipelago.

The ninth regional command (Kodam IX) Udayana in Bali, for example, has implemented weapons training in the program, provided for all locals, including those with questionable backgrounds.

Ryamizard admitted that his ministry also included weapons training in the state defense program in order to prepare civilians to participate in defending the county ahead of escalating threats against Indonesia. However, Ryamizard assured that weapons training was not available for just any civilians, especially not for gang members.