Civil Coalition Protests TNI and Reserve Component Deployment Against Demonstrations, Police Respond

A coalition of civil society organisations has strongly protested the involvement of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the alleged deployment of the Reserve Component (Komcad) during a student demonstration in Central Jakarta on Friday, 12 June. The mass of students, including members from the University of Indonesia’s Student Executive Board (BEM UI), intended to protest the administration of Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka near the Hotel Indonesia roundabout but were blocked by a joint force of police and TNI personnel in the Tosari area. The Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform, comprising groups such as LBH Jakarta, PBHI, ICJR, ELSAM, Imparsial, YLBHI, KontraS, and Walhi, issued a formal statement condemning the mobilisation. The coalition highlighted that the Ministry of Defence issued a letter on 11 June ordering approximately 500 civil servants who are part of the Komcad to attend a standby assembly at the ministry on 12 June. The coalition deemed the deployment of the TNI to face demonstrations a misguided policy, asserting that in a democracy, military mobilisation should only be a last resort when civilian apparatus is completely overwhelmed. They stressed that the Komcad is designed to reinforce the main defence component against threats to national defence, and its use must be careful, proportional, and accountable. The coalition warned that the Komcad must not become an instrument that can be mobilised arbitrarily based on administrative or political considerations, as this reinforces fears it could be used for domestic security purposes outside its primary function. They described the mobilisation as a fatal error, especially as it coincided with student protests, noting Indonesia is neither at war nor facing a situation meeting the threat parameters defined in Law No. 23/2019 on National Resource Management for Defence. The coalition questioned the urgency of the mobilisation given the lack of explanation regarding the threat, and reminded that the TNI is the main defence component while the police are responsible for public security and order. They asked what threat the nation faced to require the Reserve Component, and whether the TNI and police were deemed incapable of performing their duties. The coalition declared the mobilisation illegal, citing Article 63 of the PSDN Law which states the President may order mobilisation only when the country is in a state of military emergency or war, and only with parliamentary approval. They argued the Defence Ministry’s action in peacetime constitutes an illegal mobilisation and a usurpation of the president’s constitutional authority as supreme commander of the armed forces. The coalition also viewed the deployment as an attempt to pit civilians against each other, noting Komcad members are civil servants, not active soldiers. They concluded the deployment reflects a government mindset that views criticism as a defence threat rather than a democratic virtue. The student protesters carried five demands: stop state budget waste, lower staple goods and fuel prices, halt the Free Nutritious Meal programme and the construction of Merah Putih Village Cooperatives, and end militarisation.