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.
More Worthy News
At a recent meeting in Wuhan, Christian media in China were instructed to increase their coverage of Xi Jinping’s thoughts and key Communist Party documents, according to a religious liberty and human rights magazine.
India has accused Pakistan’s army of attacking three of its military bases with drones and missiles, a day after dozens of people were reportedly killed by Indian strikes in Pakistan.
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, who has come under fire from influential supporters of U.S. President Donald J. Trump, echoes sentiments of his predecessor saying “the [Catholic] Church should be judged by the holiness of its members, and not the grandeur of her buildings.”
Fulani herdsmen launched deadly raids on two predominantly Christian villages in Plateau state, Nigeria, on May 3-4, killing six people and injuring dozens, Morning Star News reported.
A sweeping five-day law enforcement operation targeting online child predators led to the arrest of 205 suspects and the rescue of 115 children across the United States, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on May 7.
Friedrich Merz began his first full day as Germany’s new chancellor on Wednesday despite being a politically wounded and weakened leader after failing to win enough parliamentary support in a first vote on Tuesday, which shocked the country’s political establishment.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that victory in Gaza requires both the defeat of Hamas and the release of hostages during a visit to reservist soldiers at a training base in southern Israel.