JAKARTA - Binus University Business Law Lecturer, Muhammad Reza Syarifuddin Zaki, warns of the symptoms of the revival of the TNI's dual function in the midst of the military's increasing involvement in various civilian sectors. According to him, the formation of the Territorial Development Battalion (BTP), the involvement of the TNI in the food sector, to the placement of military personnel in civilian institutions is a serious alarm for democracy and civilian supremacy in Indonesia.
The statement was made during a public discussion entitled "Prahara Territorial Battalion Development: Rejection of Citizens and the Direction of the Minister of Defense's Policy" held in Central Jakarta, Thursday, June 4.
Reza assessed that the current development of defense policies shows a shift in the role of the military, which is no longer limited to the function of state defense, but has begun to enter various fields that have been the domain of civilian institutions.
"The public hopes that there will be civilian supremacy, strong civilian supremacy. But what is happening now is that civilian spaces are slowly taken over by the military," said Reza.
According to him, the involvement of the military in food, agriculture, and regional development shows that the state prefers to expand the role of the apparatus rather than strengthening the capacity of civil institutions that already have tasks and authority in these fields.
He also criticized the plan to add tens of thousands of military personnel and the construction of new battalions which were considered potentially taking over the work space which had been the responsibility of technical ministries and civilian professionals.
"The country seems to be lazy in building civilian capacity. In fact, we were promised 19 million jobs for the civilian community, but what was multiplied was the recruitment of the military and the development of battalions," he said.
According to Reza, sectors such as agriculture, health, and infrastructure development have civil servants, professional personnel, and institutions that are specifically formed to carry out these functions.
"The question is, why should the state spend a large budget for two institutions that carry out similar functions? Aren't these sectors from the beginning already having their own civil servants and professional staff?" he said.
On that occasion, Reza also touched on the alleged corruption case in the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) involving a number of former military personnel. According to him, the case shows that a military background does not automatically guarantee a cleaner and more accountable government administration.
"There is no guarantee that those who come from the military automatically have transparency and good governance when managing large civilian budgets," he said.
Furthermore, Reza linked Indonesia's condition with international trends that showed the increasing influence of the military in the civil space in a number of countries. He said that this symptom had occurred in various countries and was often preceded by an expansion of the military's role through policies, bureaucracy, and strategic economic sectors.
According to him, the pattern that is developing today is no longer a military coup openly, but a gradual infiltration into civil institutions that can eventually change the balance of power.
"The strategy now is not an open coup. The military is slowly entering the civilian space, revising regulations, taking strategic positions, and suddenly the balance of power changes," said Reza.
He reminded that the weakening of the civil space in the midst of economic pressure and increasing unemployment can be a serious threat to the quality of democracy.
"When civilians lose their workspace, the economy weakens, and all affairs are resolved with a military approach, then our democracy is in a dangerous situation," he said.
Reza also assessed that the direction of defense development at present needs to be evaluated so as not to deviate from the main objective of military modernization, namely strengthening the country's defense capabilities and mastery of defense technology.
"The military, which should be strengthened in its ability to defend the sovereignty of the country and its defense technology, is now increasingly busy taking care of rice fields and planting crops," he said.
According to him, if the government wants to strengthen national food security, then what needs to be prioritized is improving the welfare of farmers, strengthening agricultural education, and access to modern technology for the civil society.
"Farmers must be made prosperous and promising for young people, not replaced by the military," said Reza.
The discussion also featured a number of academics, civil society activists, professional organizations, and students who discussed the social, political, and legal impacts of the plan to form a Territorial Development Battalion and expand the role of the military in the civilian sector.
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