Indonesia begins debate on allowing soldiers to take civilian posts

JAKARTA (Reuters): Indonesia’s government on Tuesday introduced in a parliamentary committee a watered-down version of contentious legislation that would enable President Prabowo Subianto to appoint military personnel to civilian posts, officials said.

After a landslide election victory last year, Prabowo, a former military officer, has quickly expanded the armed forces’ role, triggering alarm in a country that was once dominated by an all-powerful military.

A new draft of the law, first proposed earlier this year, added a proviso that soldiers filling civilian posts must first resign from service, Indonesia’s Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin told reporters after the first hearing on the legislation by a parliamentary commission.

This changes a previous draft by which Prabowo could appoint active officers anywhere in the government, said lawmaker TB Hasanuddin, a member of the country’s largest party, after attending the hearing.

That draft caused concern among activists and students that expanded military roles in civilian functions would bring back a Suharto-era doctrine called “dwifungsi” (dual function) that allowed the armed forces to crush dissent and dominate public life.

“Any military officer to be assigned in ministry or state agency must retire… We could only propose them to (be assigned) in ministry or state agency after the retirement,” Sjafrie said.

Active soldiers are still allowed to take civilian posts in the defense ministry, state intelligence agency, anti-narcotics and search and rescue agencies, as under the existing law.

Sjafrie said the government expected the new legislation to be passed this month. The bill, which amends the country’s military laws, would also extend the retirement age for active soldiers by two to five years.

Ardi Manto Adiputra, director of Indonesian rights group Imparsial, said the new proposal meant the government took into account public criticism about the expanded role for the military.

He warned, however, that the government must ensure all active soldiers in civilian jobs resign, including the president’s cabinet secretary Lieutenant Colonel Teddy Indra Wijaya.