{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1796424,
        "msgid": "the-importance-of-public-communication-on-plans-for-new-military-infrastructure-development-1781106894",
        "date": "2026-06-10 22:23:00",
        "title": "The Importance of Public Communication on Plans for New Military Infrastructure Development",
        "author": "indrastuti",
        "source": "MEDIA_INDONESIA",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Politics",
        "summary": "A public discussion has highlighted the need for a clear legal basis and greater transparency regarding a Defence Ministry proposal to establish Territorial Development Battalions. Experts stressed that any deployment of the military for development tasks must align with existing laws and require explicit political direction from the President. Panellists warned of potential overlaps with civilian ministries and the risk of land disputes without intensive public dialogue.",
        "content": "<p>The proposed formation of Territorial Development Battalions (Yon TP)\nby the Ministry of Defence was the main topic of a public discussion\norganised by the Merah Putih Institute (MPI). The discussion, titled\n\u2018Questioning Defence Policy in the Acceleration of Hundreds of\nTerritorial Development Battalions: State Resilience or the Defence\nMinister\u2019s Ambition,\u2019 examined the regulatory aspects, urgency, and\nsectoral impacts of the policy plan. MPI Director Fauzan Ohorella\nunderscored the importance of aligning the proposal with Law Number 34\nof 2004 concerning the Indonesian National Armed Forces (UU TNI).\nReferring to Article 7 paragraph (2) regarding Military Operations Other\nThan War (OMSP), the implementation of technical policies in the field\nrequires a strict political mandate from the Head of State. \u2018The\nimplementation of OMSP, based on statutory regulations, must be founded\non state policy and political decisions. Therefore, coordination and\nsynchronisation with the President, as the highest holder of\ngovernmental power, is the determining factor,\u2019 said Fauzan during the\ndiscussion in South Jakarta. Constitutional law expert Rorano assessed\nthat the government needs to remap the urgency of involving military\npersonnel in national development programmes, such as the agricultural\nand health sectors, or community development. According to Rorano, an\nin-depth study is needed to ensure that the involvement of the defence\ninstitution does not overlap with the technical functions inherently\nattached to the relevant civilian ministries and agencies. \u2018There needs\nto be a clear mapping of the scope of this work. We must see whether the\nfunctions of the existing sectoral ministries are still running\neffectively or require external strengthening support,\u2019 Rorano\nelaborated. Yepiter, a lecturer in Constitutional Law at the University\nof Jakarta, discussed the position of the National Defence Council (DPN)\nwithin Indonesia\u2019s constitutional structure based on the mandate of the\n1945 Constitution. Yepiter reminded that, in a restrictive sense, the\nDPN\u2019s role is designed as a non-structural body that functions to\nprovide strategic advice to the President in determining general defence\npolicy, not as an executor of tactical policies in the field. \u2018Based on\nthe mandate of the law, the DPN is not equipped with discretionary power\nto take independent legal action. Its primary function lies in providing\nglobal strategic input to the President as the supreme holder of power\nover the armed forces,\u2019 Yepiter explained. From a public transparency\nperspective, Sabrina, Director of Administration at the Indonesian\nMuslim Students Press Institute (LAPMI) PB HMI, stressed the importance\nof massive and transparent public communication regarding spatial\nplanning for areas intended for new military infrastructure development.\nThis transparency is considered crucial to prevent misinformation and\npotential spatial disputes with agricultural land or indigenous\ncommunity territories in the regions. \u2018Information transparency and\nintensive public dialogue are the main keys so that the ministry\u2019s\nstrategic programmes can be well understood by the wider community,\nwhile minimising potential resistance at the grassroots level,\u2019\nconcluded Sabrina.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-importance-of-public-communication-on-plans-for-new-military-infrastructure-development-1781106894",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}