Indonesia amends law to allow military to take on more civilian positions

(CLO) The Indonesian House of Representatives passed an amendment to the Indonesian Military Law (TNI) on March 20, allowing the military to take on more civilian positions.

The bill received unanimous support from the House of Representatives, led by Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Speaker Puan Maharani, who said the law was in line with democratic principles and human rights .

Indonesian Army soldiers. Photo: CC/Wiki

The Indonesian government has announced that officers must resign from the military before taking up civilian duties. Lawmakers have stressed that military officers will not be allowed to participate in state-owned enterprises.

Before the bill was passed, many students camped outside the parliament building to protest and demand the complete removal of military involvement in civilian affairs. Police tried to disperse the crowd but protesters refused to leave. The army was also deployed to assist in security.

Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin defended the amended law, arguing that global geopolitical and military technological changes require the military to adapt to deal with new conflicts.

Ngoc Anh (according to Jakarta Post, Reuters)