Indonesian court rejects challenge to law expanding military’s role

An Indonesian court ruled on Sept 17 that Parliament had followed the proper process in passing contentious revisions to the country’s military law, rejecting legal challenges to legislation that had sparked protests and condemnation.

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The Constitutional Court judges ruled 5-4 in favour of rejecting a petition that said the amendments were bulldozed through Parliament in March without proper public consultation, amid wider concerns of an expansion of the military’s involvement in civilian affairs under President Prabowo Subianto.

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

“We cannot conclude that there was no transparency because the draft of the Bill had been disclosed to the public through websites, YouTube channels, and lawmakers had also given interviews,” Justice Guntur Hamzah said in the decision.