Indonesia court to rule on challenges to legislation allowing expanded military role

JAKARTA – An Indonesian court was scheduled to rule on Sept 17 on challenges to the revision of a military law allowing a greater armed forces role in civilian affairs, one of the sources of anger that have stoked widespread anti-government protests.

The Constitutional Court was due to decide on five petitions against amendments that plaintiffs say were bulldozed through Parliament in March without proper public consultation, amid concerns over an expansion of the military's involvement in civilian life under President Prabowo Subianto. 

Fears are growing in Indonesia that former special forces commander Prabowo is turning increasingly to the armed forces to help deliver his ambitious agenda after just 11 months in office, reviving memories of the military-dominated 1966 to 1998 New Order era of authoritarian rule.

Mr Prabowo has appointed former generals to key posts and deployed the military for various tasks, including handling street protests, implementing initiatives on free school meals and food security, manufacturing medicines and seizing palm oil plantations for a new state-owned firm.

The ruling comes amid festering anger after two weeks of at times violent demonstrations over issues ranging from lawmakers’ allowances and state budget priorities to police conduct and perceptions of creeping militarisation in Indonesia, presenting Mr Prabowo with his first major test. 

The petitions argue that the amendments to Indonesia’s military law lacked transparency and public participation before being passed by a Parliament overwhelmingly allied with Mr Prabowo, and have called for the changes to be annulled.

“We expect the court to repeal the military law because the process is not in accordance with another law regulating (the) legislative process,” petitioner Ardi Manto Adiputra told Reuters, adding that lawmakers had met in secret to discuss revisions to the law and rushed its passage. 

The petitioners include human rights and student groups, and Ms Inayah Wahid, the daughter of Indonesia’s former president Abdurrahman Wahid.  

Indonesia’s law minister has said the legislative process was above board and public input had been sufficiently sought.  

The court decision is not expected to address the revisions to the law, but the processes that took place before it was passed.

Mr Ardi said his group planned to file another judicial review over the substance of the legislation at a later stage. 

He also said the court decision would be delivered virtually, with neither plaintiffs nor the public permitted to attend the verdict in person. REUTERS