We must decline the TNI’s request to reenter the world of commerce, lest we allow thuggery to run rampant in the commercial sphere and the fear of military intervention to dictate Indonesia’s development path. 

Editorial board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 22, 2024

Make no mistake, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s move to green-light a plan to revise the 2004 Indonesian Military (TNI) Law at the last opportunity before the transition of power is controversial in several ways. Civil society groups have flagged, for instance, a provision that would allow active TNI personnel to hold any position in government. 

At the moment, the military brass is limited to serving in civilian positions at just 10 different state agencies and cabinet ministries. Critics have also highlighted the proposed expansion of the TNI’s non-war operations, which include aiding the government in mitigating cyberattacks and stamping out illicit drug circulation, potentially entrenching a military presence in civilian life. 

That these and other proposed changes have occupied recent public discourse on lawmaking – including a proposal that would allow the TNI commander to serve indefinitely by presidential decree – is a testament to the influence that the military wields a quarter of a century after Reformasi. And yet the most insidious proposal comes in the form of a seemingly innocent request to do away with a ban on TNI personnel from participating in commercial activities, as stipulated in Article 39 of the TNI Law.

At a recent discussion to test public opinion of the planned revisions, a TNI legal specialist suggested lifting the business ban on the argument that active soldiers should not have to face criminal charges for taking on part-time commercial activities, such as helping out with a spouse’s small business or becoming a part-time online taxi driver.


At first glance, the request seemed to take advantage of a recent controversial state decision to allow religious organizations to manage mining concessions. Perhaps the military also just wants to have its slice of the pie. But in this case, allowing the TNI to go back into business would undo 20 years’ worth of reforms that envisioned a professional, accountable and steadfast military force. Scholars seem to largely agree that military involvement in business is unprofessional and could threaten human security.

One of the hallmarks of the 2004 law was the requirement that the TNI relinquish all military businesses to the state by 2009. Yet despite concerted efforts to investigate such entities and a presidential decree designed to speed things up, a 2010 Human Rights Watch report found no actual progress. In 2019, an academic study not only offered proof that the Indonesian Army still operates its cooperatives businesses for profit with little regard for the steady rise of the state defense budget, researchers concluded that successive administrations had deemed it necessary to allow the military to secure its vested interests to maintain stability. 

Our politicians, the study finds, have entered into a transactional dialogue with the military, leaving a cultural legacy of entrepreneurship among military leaders that has contributed to the formation of new elites and oligarchs. For one, president-elect Prabowo Subianto Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo, 72, is a retired Army lieutenant general, a businessman and the incumbent Defense Minister (2019-present). Due to his proximity to power throughout his military career, he entered politics in 2004 to pursue his dream of becoming the nation’s president. is a product of this generation of new military wealth. 

Before him, there was president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Behind Jokowi stands Luhut Pandjaitan, who played the role of military man, business associate, diplomat and politician. However, the greater moral hazard lies in allowing the military’s shadier side to fester unchecked, whether as security for hire, influence peddlers through regional command structures or benefactors of illegal trade.

Recent years have borne witness to the drawbacks of khaki capital. Revelations of illicit online gambling rings run by “renegades” and a graft case involving TNI-run pension fund Asabri are enough indication of what could go wrong if the military runs for-profit businesses. We must decline the TNI’s request, lest we allow thuggery to run rampant in the commercial sphere and the fear of military intervention to dictate Indonesia’s development path. 

A decade of true civilian rule under Jokowi is too brief a period of control in the military-civilian struggle. With a retired army general poised to once again take the reins of the country, we will need to keep our guard up to avoid making any further unnecessary concessions.

Media groups allege that fire occurred following a report on gambling operation involving military member.

Arie Firdaus
2024.07.08
Jakarta

A temporary fence blocks a woman from seeing the site of a June 27 apparent arson fire that killed journalist Rico Sempurna Pasaribu and three family members in Kabanjahe, North Sumatra, Indonesia, July 4, 2024.

Risky Cahyadi/AFP

Police in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province confirmed Monday that arson was behind a fire that killed a journalist and three family members at his home, and said two men suspected of setting the blaze were in custody. 

The June 27 attack has raised concerns about press freedom in Indonesia amid speculation that the death of Tribrata TV journalist Rico Sempurna Pasaribu, 48, was linked to his reporting on a gambling operation allegedly involving military personnel. Rico, along with his wife, a child and a grandchild died in the fire.

Gen. Agung Setya Imam Effendi, the North Sumatra police chief, identified the suspects only by their initials, RAS and YST. He said RAS was arrested Saturday and had admitted to setting the fire, while YST was apprehended early Sunday.

“They acted as the executors. They sprayed and poured fuel on the front and side walls of the victim’s house,” Agung said during a news conference where he was joined by Maj. Gen. Mohammad Hasan, the regional military commander.

“We must rely on evidence. Whether they were paid and so forth is still under investigation,” Agung said when asked about a potential motive.

“Today we arrested the executors and we are working on identifying individuals connected to them. We have identified those who have interacted with these perpetrators,” he said.

Senior Commissioner Hadi Wahyudi, a North Sumatra police spokesman, said 28 witnesses had been questioned and surveillance footage from around the scene had been analyzed. 

“We will not stop at these two executors. We will expand our investigation,” Hadi said in a written statement to BenarNews on Monday.

The investigation revealed that the two suspects were seen riding a motorcycle toward the victim’s residence and leaving shortly after the fire started, he said.

“The suspects’ motorcycle matches the characteristics analyzed from the CCTV footage,” Hadi said.

Agung said the suspects were to be charged with “intentionally causing a fire, explosion, or flood, and as a further consequence, causing general danger to the property or lives of others,” and could face life in prison if convicted. 

He did not say when the charges would be filed. The pair can be detained by investigators for 40 days before being turned over to the prosecutor who has 30 days before taking the case before the court.

Gambling reporting

Suspicions of alleged army involvement were revealed by a fact-finding team from the North Sumatra Journalists’ Safety Committee (KKJ) in Medan. 

KKJ revealed that Rico had reported on gambling activities in Padang Mas, a village in Kabanjahe district, Karo regency, and had named a TNI member allegedly involved. Rico also posted the report on his Facebook page.

After the news was published, a soldier contacted Rico’s superior, requesting the report be taken down, but the request was denied, according to KKJ. The group said Rico had confided in colleagues that he felt uneasy after the report was published.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) researcher Andreas Harsono said the suspected killing of Rico was unprecedented in Indonesia.

“Many journalists have been killed alone. This is the first suspected murder in Indonesian history where a journalist was killed along with his family,” Andreas told BenarNews.

Military support

Mohammad Hasan, the regional military commander, told reporters that troops would back the police investigation.

“We are giving full support. The TNI, specifically Kodam I Bukit Barisan, has been frequently mentioned in the news,” Hasan said, using an acronym for the Indonesian Armed Forces.

The arson attack on the journalist’s residence is the second such incident in North Sumatra in 2024. On March 21, the home of Junaidi Marpaung, a journalist for the online media outlet Utama News, was set on fire by unknown individuals.

Junaidi, who is also a member of the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) in Rantau Prapat, Labuhan Batu regency, was reporting on drug trafficking in his area and had received several threats via social media. Junaidi and his family were able to escape the fire.

In 2023, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) recorded 89 cases of attacks on journalists and media outlets across Indonesia, the highest number in the past decade.

The highest instances of violence occurred against journalists and media covering three key issues: accountability and corruption (33 cases), social issues and crime (25 cases), and environmental and agrarian conflicts (14 cases), according to the report.

It also indicated that the majority of perpetrators were state actors, accounting for 36 cases, followed by non-state actors with 29 cases, and unidentified actors in 24 cases.

HRW’s Andreas noted that violence against journalists tends to occur outside major cities, where oversight from press organizations or civil society groups is less prevalent.

“Journalists in rural areas are more vulnerable. In Jakarta, there are many watchdogs,” Andreas said.

He urged journalists outside big cities to regularly build networks to become more cohesive and protective of one another.

“Journalists need to organize. The more oversight, the lower the potential for violence and attacks,” he said.

July 16, 2024 in Politics, Law and Security

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Author: Admin Jubi – Editor: Edho Sinaga

One of the school rooms that was burned in Okbab – Jubi/Dok Warga

Jayapura, Jubi – The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) from the XXXV Bintang Timur Regional Defense Command (Kodap), Pegunungan Bintang, has reportedly burned down the Okbab Junior High School and Senior High School buildings as well as teachers’ housing in Okbab District, Pegunungan Bintang Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province, on Saturday (13/7/2024).

TPNPB spokesperson, Sebby Sambom, confirmed that the KOMNAS TPNPB headquarters had received an official report from the TPNPB Commander of Kodap XXXV Bintang Timur, Brigadier General Ananias Ati Mimin, and his troops. They conveyed this information on Sunday (14/7/2024) that all junior high school, senior high school buildings, and teachers’ housing in Borban Village, Okbab District, Pegunungan Bintang Regency, had been burned down on Saturday, July 13, 2024.

“TPNPB Kodap XXXV Bintang Timur has announced to the President of Indonesia since December 5, 2021 that they will burn down all school buildings in our operational area,” said Sambom.

Sebby Sambom stated that the Indonesian version of education in Papua is destroying the cultural, historical, and ideological values ​​of the Papuan people who fought for independence from Indonesia. According to him, students are forced to memorize the Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia and Indonesian heroes, which he considers an attempt to make the young generation of Papua stupid.

“It’s time for schools to be burned, government buildings to be burned. It’s time for Papuans to think about fighting for Papuan independence. Later, after independence, we will build better schools, hospitals, and government buildings in West Papua,” he said

Smoke was seen rising from the junior high and high school buildings and teachers’ housing in Borban village, Okbab district, Pegunungan Bintang regency, Papua Pegunungan province on Saturday (13/7/2024). Jubi/Doc Warga. 

Sambom also appealed to all students and college students throughout Indonesia to return to Papua and fight for Papuan independence. He added that after independence, all students and college students will be sent abroad to pursue better education using Papua’s own state funds.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Cartenz 2024 Peace Operation, Brigadier General Faizal Ramadhani, confirmed that the Armed Group had acted up again by burning down a school building and an elementary school office in Borban Village, Okbab District, Pegunungan Bintang Regency, on Friday (12/7/2024).

“We deeply regret this incident. This action not only harms children and teachers, but also damages the future of our young generation,” he said.

Brigadier General Faizal emphasized that the burning of this school was an extraordinary crime that must be dealt with firmly. Security forces will continue to make maximum efforts to arrest and punish the perpetrators of this crime.

In line with this statement, the Head of the Public Relations Task Force for the Cartenz-2024 Peace Operation, Senior Commissioner Bayu Suseno also strongly condemned the actions of the Armed Group. He stated that the burning of schools by the KKB was very inhumane and could not be tolerated.

“We will tighten security in conflict-prone areas and try to provide a sense of security to the community. We will not allow such heinous acts to destroy the enthusiasm of Papuan children to learn,” he said.

The burning of schools by the TPNPB adds to the long list of violence carried out by the group, which continues to disturb the community and disrupt security stability in Papua. The government and security forces continue to strive to overcome this security disturbance and restore conditions in the affected areas so that the community can return to their activities in peace.

“The community is expected to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities,” said Senior Commissioner Bayu Suseno.

One of the residents of Okbab District who witnessed the incident in Borban Village reported that the fire at the Okbab Junior High School and Senior High School buildings and the teachers’ housing was allegedly carried out by the TPNPB Kodap XXXV Bintang Timur group at 10:15 a.m. Papua time. This incident resulted in seven junior high school classes, six teachers’ houses, and three rooms at the Okbab Senior High School burning down.

“It is true that the junior high school, senior high school, and teachers’ housing burned down. “In SMA Negeri 1 Okbab there were 3 classrooms, the SMA Negeri Okbab office, 4 buildings burned down, textbooks burned down, and various other important documents,” said the resident when confirmed by Jubi. (*)

Children of Kago village participating in the “Smart Papua” study activity organized by officers of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI’s) Raider Infantry Battalion 323/Buaya Putih Kostrad task force stationed at the Koper Post in Puncak District, Central Papua, Saturday (July 13, 2024). ANTARA/HO-Koops Habema/nbl.

July 14, 2024 18:40 GMT+700 Bandung, West Java (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) has organized a “Smart Papua” study activity for primary school children of Kago village, in Puncak District, Central Papua while maintaining security in the region.

The community service was organized by officers of the TNI’s Raider Infantry Battalion 323/Buaya Putih Kostrad task force, operating under the command of the Habema Operational Command, stationed at the Koper Post in the village.

“The initiative of the 323 Task Force to organize the Smart Papua program at Koper Post reflects TNI’s commitment to providing basic needs, primarily education service for school-age children, to accelerate the development in Papua,” TNI’s Habema operational commander, Brigadier General Lucky Avianto, said in a press statement issued on Sunday.

Koper Post commander, First Lieutenant Anggun, personally invited primary school children in Kago village to take part in the activity organized by his unit on Saturday (July 13).

He noted the local children’s enthusiasm to flock to the activity, which he felt thankful for.

Apart from teaching school lessons, the TNI officers also taught children about respecting parents and their peers, as well as reminding them about the importance of ethics in a community.

Meanwhile, a local student, Lukas Tinal said he is happy to attend the learning activity by the TNI. “Thank you, ‘Uncle Soldier’. We enjoyed studying at the Kostrad 323 post. God bless you,” he remarked.

TNI’s humane approach in Papua is consistent with Presidential Instruction No. 9 of 2020 on the Acceleration of Welfare Development in Papua, which mandates the military to engage with local figures and strategic groups to promote regional development.

It also aligns with the soft power strategy devised by TNI commander General Agus Subiyanto to address Papua issues.

Habema Operational Command, a joint military-police task force, was set up earlier this year to optimize joint security operations in Papua to prevent local conflicts and neutralize the threat posed by armed Papuan groups, especially the Free Papua Movement (OPM).

June 23, 2024 22:29 GMT+700

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) on Sunday has distributed food parcels to residents of Batas Batu Sub-district in Nduga, Highland Papua, in an effort to nurture relations with them.

The community service was carried out by TNI’s Para Raider Infantry Batallion 503/Mayangkara Kostrad task force officers operating under the command of the Habema Operational Command amidst its patrol mission in Batu Batas, according to a press statement.

“The ‘Blessed Sunday’ service carried out by the 503 Task Force in Batas Batu Sub-district is part of TNI’s mission to implement inclusive social communication to accelerate Papua development,” TNI’s Habema Operational Commander Brigadier General Lucky Avianto stated.

During the “Blessed Sunday” community service, officers visited several villages along their patrol route in Batas Batu and distributed food parcels to residents.

The brigadier general explained that the community service was carried out by officers from Batas Batu Post of the infantry battalion led by its commandant, First Lieutenant Galih Nugroho.

The activity provided a medium to promote positive interaction between the military and locals, especially as officers were warmly welcomed by residents they met, he added.

Avianto informed that the community service for Batas Batu residents was carried out according to Presidential Instruction No. 9 of 2020 on Acceleration of Welfare Development in Papua, which mandated the military to engage with local figures and strategic groups to promote local development.

It is also in line with the soft-power strategy devised by TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto in addressing Papua issues.

Over the past few years, armed Papuan groups have time and again employed hit-and-run tactics against Indonesian security personnel and mounted acts of terror against civilians in the districts of Intan Jaya, Nduga, and Puncak.

In response, the military and the police set up the Habema Operational Command earlier this year to optimize joint security operations in Papua to prevent local conflicts and neutralize the threats of armed Papuan insurgents.

Related news: TNI provides healthcare services for Central Papua’s Bilogai villagers
Related news: Army providing free healthcare services to native Papuans in Kimaam

Reporter: Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution