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View all search resultsCivil groups launch petition against TNI's expanding role in civilian affairs
The petition, launched on July 29 by a coalition of civil society groups, warns that the TNI's growing involvement in civilian affairs will not only undermine military professionalism but could also harm more people due to a potential increase in violence against those defending their rights and lands.
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Manager candidates of the Red and White Cooperatives march in full camo outfits on July 31, 2026, prior to attending the closing ceremony for the Defense Ministry’s Bachelor of Indonesian Development Drivers (SPPI) degree program at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in East Jakarta. (Antara/Bayu Pratama S.)
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coalition of civil society organizations (CSO) launched a petition on Wednesday opposing the growing involvement of the Indonesian Military (TNI) in President Prabowo Subianto’s priority programs, alleging this threatens democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
Launched by the Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform (SSR), which includes rights groups Imparsial, the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Amnesty International Indonesia and the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), the petition had garnered signatures from at least 57 civil society groups and 270 individuals at the time of publication.
“We urge the government to evaluate policies that involve the military in civilian spheres and restore the TNI’s role and function as a professional institution that focuses on defense,” SSR program coordinator Hussein Ahmad of Imparsial said on Wednesday, as he read out the petition during the launch event.
The coalition stated the country had witnessed the TNI’s expanding presence in social, political and economic affairs. It stressed that in expanding its role beyond national defense, the military had strayed from its constitutional mandate and reversed democratic progress following the 1998 reform movement.
The civil groups also highlighted the TNI’s growing involvement in key government initiatives, including Prabowo’s flagship free nutritious meal program and the Red and White Cooperatives.
Read also: Militarism, top-down policy muddle Prabowo’s first year: CSIS
Further, military troops have been involved in law enforcement efforts through the forest area enforcement task force (Satgas PKH), which is responsible for seizing forest areas from illegal plantation and mining operations.
