By: Caleb Setiawan )*
The polemic regarding the Indonesian National Armed Forces Law (UU TNI) and the discourse on revising the Polri Law are still hot topics in Indonesia. This issue has triggered various acts of rejection and public support in various regions. Various parties who are against the TNI Law which was passed in the Plenary Meeting of the Indonesian House of Representatives on March 20, 2025, consider that the regulation will bring back the dual function of the ABRI like the New Order era.
Responding to this issue, the Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) dismissed this. According to him, the TNI Bill which was just passed some time ago will not bring Indonesia into the era of the dual function of the ABRI like the New Order. The law actually limits TNI officers from entering civilian agencies. This will actually clarify the TNI corridor so that it does not penetrate into positions in ministries or other institutions outside those regulated by law.
On the one hand, AHY understands that many people still have the wrong perception in interpreting all the articles in the TNI Law. Therefore, he hopes that this TNI Law can be socialized optimally so that the public knows the main purpose of the Law.
Director General of Human Rights Services and Compliance, Ministry of Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia, Munafrizal Manan, invited the public to remember, the historical and political context between the period of the ABRI dual function in the past and the present are very different. According to him, currently there are no political prerequisites that allow the re-emergence of the military’s dual function like in the past. The ABRI dual function in the past could occur because there was a dominant, centralistic, monolithic, and hegemonic political power.
Munafrizal added, the ABRI dual function in the past was not only based on laws with a military dimension, but also laws with a political dimension. Therefore, Munafrizal emphasized that the concern that the change to the TNI Law would potentially lead to human rights violations by the TNI was a conclusion that was too forced.
On the other hand, the Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Student Regiment, M. Arwani Deni, also saw that the direction of this polemic could not be separated from Indonesia’s position which is now increasingly strategic in the global constellation, especially since entering BRICS. Indonesia’s support for the multipolar world order has become a concern for certain global powers that have so far dominated the international political and economic architecture. Indonesia’s steps to strengthen its defense system are seen as a threat to the status quo which has so far been controlled by the Western axis.
The rejection of the TNI Law is also considered to be full of geopolitical content because it occurs in the midst of regional rivalries, especially between the United States and China in the Pacific region. In this situation, various strategic policies of Indonesia have the potential to become the target of maneuvers by major powers who want to maintain their influence. So it is not surprising that every effort to increase Indonesia’s military capacity is immediately confronted with anti-democratic discourse, even though in reality there is not a single article that indicates the return of the military to politics.
For information, the discussion of the revision of the TNI Law has previously involved elements of society. The Head of the TNI Information Center (Kapuspen), Brigadier General Kristomei Sianturi denied the narrative that stated that the revision of the TNI Law was carried out quickly. This one-star TNI general said that this revision still adheres to the principle of civil supremacy. Its preparation has included the Problem Inventory List (DIM) and is prepared in accordance with the principles of democracy and applicable laws.
Meanwhile, the discourse on the revision of the National Police Law has also become a subject of speculation that is spiced with inaccuracies. The Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, has emphasized that there has been no official discussion or Presidential Letter (Surpres) regarding the bill, so that the narrative built outside the official mechanism will only worsen the situation. This issue needs to be straightened out so that it is not used as a material for agitation against law enforcement agencies that are actually expected to strengthen their professionalism in responding to the challenges of the times.
Efforts to politicize the TNI Law and the discourse on the National Police Bill are not just differences of opinion, but part of a scenario that has the potential to disrupt national stability. The government has acted in accordance with the constitution and continues to uphold the principle of openness. This dynamic is indeed part of democracy, but the developing narrative shows a tendency towards provocation that endangers national stability.
For that reason, synergy between the government, academics, civil society, and the media is important so that policies that are born for the sake of national sovereignty are not led into horizontal conflicts that harm all parties. Indonesia must stand tall as a nation that is not easily intervened, either by manipulated domestic pressure or by interested external forces. )* The author is a Public Policy Analyst
