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Top lawmaker claims TNI bill will limit military role
Utut, a former chess grand master and now senior politician of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said in a press briefing on Monday that the revision would put a cap on how many civilian positions could be filled by active soldiers and that it was designed to curb a potential dual role for the TNI in politics.
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An activist holds an umbrella with an inscription that reads “Indonesian Military (TNI) return to the barracks!“ during the 851th Kamisan rally in front of the State Palace in Jakarta on Feb. 13, 2025. (Antara/Sulthony Hasanuddin)
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hairman of House of Representatives Commission I overseeing defense and security Utut Adianto claimed on Monday that the planned revision of the Indonesian Military (TNI) Law would in fact further limit the role of the military in civilian affairs.
Utut, a former chess grand master and now senior politician of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said in a press briefing on Monday that the revision would put a cap on how many civilian positions could be filled by active soldiers and that it was designed to curb a potential dual role for the TNI in politics.
"I have repeatedly said that this amendment will in fact put a limit on the military’s role," Utut was quoted by Antara as saying.
The lawmaker also claimed that the House had gathered opinions from the public in the deliberation of the planned amendment. "On the question of participation, we have invited all relevant parties," he said.
Lawmakers in Commission I have been under fire for what civil society groups have claimed is a lack of transparency in the deliberation of the planned amendment of the TNI Law.
On Sunday, a group of protesters broke into a makeshift session held inside a meeting room of an upmarket hotel in South Jakarta to disrupt a meeting between lawmakers and government representatives to discuss new details of the TNI Law.
The activists also blasted the lawmakers' efforts to rush the deliberation of the TNI Law amendment, suspecting that a new regulation on the military could be passed this week.
