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View all search resultsPrabowo’s peacekeeping pledge: A turning point for democracy?
While skeptics might look askance at Prabowo's peacekeeping commitment, conveyed in his speech at the 80th UN General Assembly, this presents a chance for Indonesia to not only contribute to global stability but also to reshape the culture of both the TNI and the National Police as guardians of democracy.
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Members of Indonesia’s peacekeeping Garuda Contingent (Konga) cheer on March 14, 2024, during a welcome ceremony at the Indonesian Military (TNI) headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, to mark their return from a yearlong mission in Lebanon. (Antara/Bayu Pratama S)
W
hen President Prabowo Subianto addressed the United Nations, he offered a striking counterpoint to the speaker preceding him, United States President Donald Trump, who recently rebranded the Department of Defense as the “Department of War”.
By contrast, Prabowo used his international debut to recast the Indonesian armed forces and police as peacekeepers. For a nation where democratic progress has often run up against the entrenched power of its military, this was a moment of real significance.
Prabowo’s commitment points to a path that could strengthen Indonesia’s democracy from the inside out, by exposing its soldiers to the discipline, norms and values of international human rights-based security.
Since the fall of Soeharto in 1998, Indonesia has staged one of the world’s most remarkable democratic transformations. Free elections are now routine, civil society is vibrant, and press freedom remains alive. Yet two institutions have always loomed uneasily over this democratic landscape: the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police.
For decades, the military and police acted as the backbone of authoritarian rule, claiming a “dual function” as both defender of the nation and manager of civilian affairs. Though reformed at some level, they still command vast influence and hearken to a troubled past that Indonesians have not forgotten.
Recent upheavals in numerous cities across the country saw the police clashing with demonstrators that evoked the pre-democracy New Order. Without fully embedding these institutions into democratic norms, Indonesia’s democratic experiment will remain vulnerable.
That is why Prabowo’s call for deeper engagement in UN peacekeeping missions matters. It represents not just a contribution to global stability, but also a chance to reshape the culture of this powerful Indonesian institution from within.
