Friday (November 14, 2025), The Center for the Study of Democracy, the Constitution, and Human Rights at the Faculty of Law, Gadjah Mada University (PANDEKHA FH UGM), together with the Civil Society Coalition—comprising Centra Initiative, Imparsial, Raksha Initiatives, and PRISMA—held a public discussion titled “Civil-Military Relations in a Democratic State: The Dynamics of TNI Reform.” The event was held in a hybrid format in Room 3.1.1 of the UGM Faculty of Law and via Zoom. The event featured panelists Dr. Al Araf, Made Tony Supriatma, Ph.D., Usman Hamid, Dr. Arifah Rahmawati, M.A., and Virga Dwi Efendi, S.H., LL.M., with Wahyudi Djafar from Raksha Initiatives serving as moderator.
The discussion began with a presentation by Usman Hamid on the failures of transitional justice that continue to cast a shadow over civil-military relations in Indonesia. He highlighted the continued weakness of civilian control over the military, impunity for gross human rights violations, and the rise of military business practices that have the potential to erode professionalism. In his view, the denial of history and the suppression of public criticism undermine the foundations of democracy and distance Indonesia from the principles of accountability expected of a modern state.
Made Tony Supriatma then highlighted the increasing practice of securitization in public policy, in which civilian issues such as education, food, and development are treated as security issues. He pointed to the expansion of the Indonesian National Armed Forces’ (TNI) territorial structure and special forces in recent years, which is seen as blurring the line between the civilian and military spheres and reinforcing the concentration of executive power. This expansion is also viewed as narrowing democratic space and weakening mechanisms of public oversight.
Meanwhile, Dr. Arifah Rahmawati offers a deeper analysis from a gender perspective. She explained that the culture of hegemonic masculinity within the military not only gives rise to violence in conflict but also shapes internal power dynamics that oppress those deemed not to conform to masculine standards. She emphasized that reform of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) must include cultural transformation, ethics training, and the integration of a gender perspective to prevent the recurrence of gender-based violence—both in conflict zones and within the institution itself.
In the next session, Dr. Al Araf discussed the rise of militarism alongside the decline in the quality of democracy. He highlighted the military’s involvement in civilian offices, the politicization of the law, and the shrinking space for public criticism as forms of deviation in civil-military relations. This trend is seen as threatening the professionalism of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and undermining the principle of civilian supremacy, which forms the foundation of constitutional democracy.
Virga Dwi Efendi concluded the session by examining the 2025 revision of the TNI Law from the perspective of administrative law. He cautioned that the expansion of military authority within civilian institutions, the raising of the retirement age for officers, and the increase in the TNI’s duties have the potential to undermine the principles of legality and administrative accountability. When officials with a military background hold civilian positions yet remain within the TNI’s command structure, mechanisms for public oversight and legal control become vulnerable to weakening.
The relevance of this discussion is also linked to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The discussion on accountability, civilian supremacy, and human rights protection directly supports SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, which emphasizes the importance of transparent, accountable, and inclusive institutions. The gender perspective presented by Arifah is also closely related to SDG 5: Gender Equality, particularly in the context of preventing gender-based violence and protecting vulnerable groups within defense policy. Furthermore, the capacity-building of civil society—as carried out through the collaboration between PANDEKHA and the Civil Society Coalition—also supports SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, by strengthening cross-sectoral collaboration to promote democratic governance.
Through this discussion, PANDEKHA FH UGM, together with the Civil Society Coalition, hopes to strengthen public understanding and encourage ongoing efforts to ensure that TNI reform aligns with the principles of the rule of law, respect for human rights, gender equality, and other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). All panelists agreed that the future of Indonesian democracy can only be safeguarded if civilian supremacy is upheld and the military’s role is strictly limited to non-defense matters.
Author: Poppy Hairunnisa (PANDEKHA, Faculty of Law, UGM)
