TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The chairperson of Centra Initiative, Al Araf, has said that what he describes as the strengthening of militarism in Indonesia is rooted in the negligence of civilian authorities, including the president and parliament.
He argued that in a democratic system, control over the military should rest firmly with civilian leaders.
“The first fundamental problem of militarism is related to civilian authorities. In a democratic country, control over the military lies with civil authorities, namely the president and parliament,” Al Araf said during a public discussion titled “Reflection on 28 Years of Reform: Strengthening Militarism, Shrinking Democratic Space, and the Threat of Economic Crisis” in South Jakarta on Wednesday, May 19, 2026.
“Why has the military entered civilian domains, political spaces, and recently acted as law enforcers? It is because civil authorities have allowed it, remained silent, and even consented to these processes,” he added.
Militarism as a Mindset, Echoes of the New Order Era
According to Al Araf, militarism is not simply about military institutions, but a way of thinking that frames social and political issues as security threats.
“Militarism is not about the organization, but about the paradigm and perspective. It is a pattern of thinking that sees all problems as solvable through security and military approaches,” he said.
Al Araf said militarism was strongly entrenched during Indonesia’s New Order era, when the military dominated social and political life. At that time, dissent against President Soeharto was often met with repression.
“The approach to resolving differences was military in nature. Those who criticized the president were abducted, arrested, and human rights violations occurred,” he said. “Differences were seen as threats.”
He argued that similar patterns are re-emerging today, pointing to statements by President Prabowo Subianto and recent developments in public discourse and civil-military relations.
“Now we are seeing a problem again. Why? Because civil authorities perceive differences as threats. If differences are seen as threats, it shows a leadership character that does not tolerate dissent,” Al Araf said.
He also said that under such a mindset, critics and media outlets viewed unfavorably by the government risk being treated as security threats.
“We experienced this during the New Order, when social and political space was controlled by the military. Eventually, the military entered civilian posts, parliament, education, and critics were arrested and abducted,” he said.
Government Response to Critics
President Prabowo Subianto has made several controversial remarks regarding critics of his administration. In one cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace on Friday, March 13, 2026, he suggested that some analysts lacked patriotism and were motivated by personal interests.
“In my view, their attitude is narrow and unpatriotic,” Prabowo said, referring to certain critics.
He also speculated that some government critics were driven by resentment or economic loss due to anti-corruption measures.
“Especially thieves, corruptors, they must feel disadvantaged by our government. We want to enforce discipline,” he said.
Prabowo has also spoken about what he described as foreign influence in the media, including Tempo. In a speech on January 15, 2026, before university rectors and professors at the State Palace, he suggested that certain media outlets did not adequately report government achievements, including in food self-sufficiency.
According to academics present at the event, Prabowo also alleged foreign funding influences in some media organizations and urged academic support to counter external interference.
Recent Cases and Civil-Military Concerns
Concerns over militarism have also been raised in recent incidents. Andrie Yunus, deputy coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS), was attacked with acid by a member of the Indonesian Military Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS TNI) on Salemba I–Talang Street, Central Jakarta, on March 12, 2026. The case was tried in a military court rather than a civilian court.
More recently, the screening of the documentary film 'Pesta Babi' by director Dandhy Dwi Laksono and Cipry Paju Dale faced disruption. A screening at the University of Khairun Ternate on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, was interrupted by a uniformed military officer.
The commander of Military District Command (Kodim) 1501/Ternate, Colonel Inf Jani Setiadi, said the disruption was related to licensing and sensitivity concerns.
“Besides licensing issues, the authorities also considered the material and theme of the event sensitive to the public,” he said.
Sultan Abdurrahman, Francisca Christy Rosana, Dani Aswara, and Budhy Nurgianto contributed to the writing of this article.
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