JAKARTA - The government's plan to form 750 Territorial Development Battalions (BTP) in the next five years has drawn criticism from academics, public policy researchers, democracy activists, to civil society organizations. The policy is considered potentially expanding the involvement of the military in civil affairs and blurring the line between defense functions and the governance of civilian government.
The criticism emerged in a public discussion entitled "Prahara Territorial Battalion Development: Rejection of Citizens and the Direction of the Minister of Defense's Policy" which was held in Central Jakarta, Thursday, June 4.
Researcher of Public Policy and Good Governance, Gian Kasogi, assessed the program presented by the Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin showed a tendency to increase the role of the military in various non-defense sectors.
"The government is building a normalization of the involvement of the military in civilian affairs. Starting from food, regional development, social security, to criminal issues. In fact, the TNI's main mandate is national defense, not to be the main actor in civil governance," said Gian.
Previously, in a working meeting with Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives on May 19, 2026, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin conveyed the plan to build 150 battalions every year to meet the needs in 514 districts and cities throughout Indonesia.
According to Gian, the reason why the government calls BTP an instrument for regional development, strengthening food security, and combating crime is precisely to show the increasingly blurred boundaries between defense functions and civilian functions.
He reminded that the TNI Law stipulates that the TNI is a defense tool for the state. The involvement in civil affairs through the Military Operation Other than War (OMSP) scheme has clear limits and cannot be interpreted broadly.
"If all social, development, food, and environmental security issues are handed over to the military approach, then the country is moving towards a repressive security model and abandoning the principle of civilian supremacy," he said.
Apart from the aspect of governance, Gian also highlighted the increasing rejection of the community against the construction of battalions in a number of areas. Based on media monitoring from January to May 2026, rejection was reported to have emerged in Aceh, Papua, East Java, Central Java, to South Sulawesi.
According to him, the pattern of problems that arise is relatively similar, ranging from agrarian conflicts, lack of public consultation, threats to people's living space, to alleged land acquisition without the full consent of the people.
"The facts on the ground show that the development of the battalion is directly facing indigenous people, farmers, and local residents. The state should listen to the voices of the people, not expand the security approach to social conflicts," he said.
In line with this, Syaiful Hidayatullah, a researcher on legal and strategic litigation, assessed that the establishment of BTP has the potential to raise constitutional issues and human rights violations if it is carried out without meaningful public participation.
He said a number of reports from the region showed public concern about the potential for dispossession of living space and increased social tension due to the construction of the battalion headquarters.
"The state must not use security approaches to solve welfare and development issues. When development is carried out without the consent of the community, the potential for horizontal conflicts and violations of citizens' rights will increase," said Syaiful.
According to him, the government needs to conduct a thorough evaluation of the policy and open a space for dialogue with the people who are directly affected.
"Constitutional democracy places the people as the main subject of development. Therefore, every policy concerning the living space of citizens must be carried out transparently, participatively, and respecting human rights," he said.
The public discussion featured a number of academics, legal practitioners, civil society organizations, as well as student representatives and youth organizations. The forum was held as a space for reflection on the direction of the government's defense policy amid increasing concerns among some quarters about the potential for the re-emergence of military practices in civilian spaces.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
