By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
JAKARTA (Worthy News) – Students and rights activists have rallied outside Indonesia’s parliament building, where legislators passed changes to a military law that protesters say will bring the Islamic nation closer to dictatorship.
Thursday’s rally broke out after civil society groups warned that Indonesia, “the world’s third-biggest democracy,” would return to the draconian “New Order” era of former strongman president Suharto when military officers dominated civilian affairs.
However, Parliament Speaker Puan Maharani, who led the unanimous vote, said it was “in accordance with the principle of democracy and human rights.”
Yet observers have not noticed that President Prabowo Subianto, who took office last October and was a special forces commander under Suharto, has been expanding the armed forces’ role. The army has been active in what were considered civilian areas, including the president’s flagship program of free meals for children.
However, rights activists fear that increased military involvement may lead to “abuses of power, human rights violations, and impunity” from consequences for actions.
The government has said the bill requires officers to resign from the military before assuming civilian posts at departments such as the Attorney General’s Office. Additionally, officers can not join state-owned companies to counter concerns that the military would be involved in business, said a lawmaker familiar with the changes.
Budi Djiwandono, the committee’s deputy chief overseeing the military law bill, said the government would ensure that civil supremacy is upheld.
Djiwandono, who is also President Prabowo’s nephew, added in published remarks that “no active military personnel would be placed in state-owned companies, dismissing concerns they would be involved in business.”
Opposition politicians have urged all parties to monitor the law’s implementation to ensure “no further expansion of military roles,” Worthy News learned.
Yet the protesters suggested that many Indonesians fear a return to autocratic rule.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest Stories from Worthy News
Hamas has formally rejected Israel’s latest ceasefire proposal, criticizing it as a “partial” deal that fails to guarantee a complete end to the war or a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The United States may abandon efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine within days if no clear progress is made, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on April 18. Speaking after talks in Paris with European and Ukrainian leaders, Rubio said President Trump is prepared to “move on” from the negotiations in the absence of any clear signs of progress.
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced a Christian man to death on Good Friday on controversial charges of blasphemy against Islam, Christians told Worthy News.
Christians across autocratically-ruled Nicaragua “are celebrating Holy Week” leading up to Easter under the watchful eye of police and paramilitary forces, Christians told Worthy News on Good Friday.
Italy’s rightwing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says U.S. President Donald J. Trump has accepted her invitation for an official trip to Rome at a time when the third largest economy in the European Union tries to bridge differences between the EU and the U.S. over trade and security.