JAKARTA - Academic Faculty of Business Law, Bina Nusantara University (Binus), Muhammad Reza Syarifuddin Zaki, reminded Indonesia to be aware of the widespread trend of military coups in various countries and to maintain civil supremacy so as not to affect the international community's confidence in Indonesian democracy.
Reza delivered the warning in a public discussion entitled "Military, Business, and Politics: Lessons from Military Coups in Various Countries" held in Central Jakarta, Wednesday, July 8.
According to Reza, the development of international law shows a balance between respect for state sovereignty and protection of democracy and human rights.
He explained, Article 2 paragraph (4) of the Charter of the United Nations (UN) prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of a country. Meanwhile, Article 2 paragraph (7) of the UN Charter states that the organization must not intervene in the domestic affairs of its member states.
"At the international level there is the principle of non-intervention, but at the same time the international community is also increasingly paying attention to democratic practices, civil supremacy, and respect for human rights," said Reza.
He said, the same principle was also adopted by ASEAN, which has always upheld the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of member countries. However, the political developments in the region show a new dynamic.
For example, Reza alluded to ASEAN's decision not to invite the leader of the Myanmar military junta to the ASEAN Summit following the political crisis in the country.
"This development shows that the regional community is beginning to respond to domestic political conditions which are considered to have an impact on regional stability," he said.
Reza also highlighted the increasing placement of active military soldiers in civilian positions and state-owned enterprises (SOEs). According to him, this condition has the potential to affect international perceptions if it does not have a clear legal basis.
He assessed that the government needed to maintain consistency with the principle of civil supremacy as stipulated in laws and regulations.
"The TNI Law basically regulates the space for active soldiers to be deployed. Therefore, if there is a placement in civilian spaces, including as commissioners of SOEs or other strategic positions, it must be ensured to have a clear legal basis and not be in conflict with the principles of TNI professionalism," he said.
According to Reza, the expansion of the military's role in the civilian sector also has the potential to create governance issues if it is not accompanied by adequate oversight mechanisms.
"The state must ensure that the military institution remains professional in accordance with the function of national defense. If not, this condition has the potential to be used as a political instrument by certain parties, while the social burden is actually borne by the community," he said.
Furthermore, Reza invited Indonesia to learn from the experiences of a number of countries in Latin America and Africa that have experienced military coups.
According to him, various studies show that coups are generally triggered by a combination of political problems, social instability, and prolonged economic pressure.
"We must learn from the experiences of various countries. The issues of political, social, and economic stability should not be ignored because they can be factors that trigger political crises. Therefore, the strengthening of democracy, civil supremacy, and good governance must continue to be maintained so that Indonesia does not face the same risks," said Reza.
The discussion also featured Professor of Political Science at the National University Firdaus Syam, Head of the Indonesia Laboratory 2045 Jaleswari Pramodhawardani, Director of the Indonesian Madani Circle Ray Rangkuti, Professor of State Law at the University of Muhammadiyah Jakarta Ibnu Sina Chandranegara, and Public Policy and Governance Researcher Gian Kasogi.
Participants in the activity came from students, researchers, youth organizations, representatives of civil society, and the general public.
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