Dave Laksono Responds to TNI Involvement in Student Protest Security
The Deputy Chairman of Commission I of the House of Representatives (DPR), Dave Laksono, has responded to criticisms from civil society regarding the involvement of the military in securing student protests titled ‘Towards a Bankrupt Indonesia’ on 12 June 2026. He stated that, in principle, the responsibility for securing demonstrations lies with the police as law enforcement officers.
However, he added that the involvement of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) cannot be ruled out “to ensure that public order is maintained,” he said when contacted on Saturday, 13 June 2026.
Furthermore, Laksono continued, the TNI has a primary mandate to safeguard the sovereignty and integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. In performing this duty, he noted that defence institutions play a role alongside the police, particularly in conditions that require the maintenance of national stability.
“We believe that synergy between defence and law enforcement apparatus is key to maintaining national stability,” said Dave.
Nevertheless, he reminded that the coordination between these two agencies in securing protests must be conducted properly. “The most important thing is that every step remains within the legal corridor, respects civil rights, and maintains public trust in state institutions,” said the Golkar Party politician.
In addition to TNI involvement, he remarked that the mobilisation of reserve components could also support national security as part of the total defence system. He argued that the role of these reserve forces is not limited to guarding sovereignty, but also to creating order and a sense of security for the people.
“The Reserve Component (Komcad) was formed as part of the total defence system to strengthen the nation’s readiness in facing various potential strategic threats,” he said.
Dave stated that Commission I of the DPR, as the government’s partner in the field of defence, is committed to exercising its oversight function. This function, he said, is carried out to ensure that national defence policies are implemented in accordance with the constitutional mandate and in the interest of the people.
The Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform criticised the deployment of the TNI and the Reserve Component (Komcad) to guard student protests at several points in Jakarta on Friday, 12 June 2026. They assessed that such a move was erroneous, inconsistent with democratic principles, and had the potential to cause legal issues.
The Coalition stated that handling protests is the domain of civil security apparatus, specifically the Indonesian National Police. “Military mobilisation should only be a last resort when all civil apparatus are no longer able to control the existing situation,” the joint statement read.
The Coalition also questioned the basis of the threat that justified the mobilisation of civil servant reserve components. They reminded that the Komcad was formed to strengthen the primary components of national defence against threats to state sovereignty, not to respond to domestic security dynamics that can still be handled by civil apparatus.
The Coalition assessed that Indonesia is currently not in a condition that meets the threat parameters as regulated in Law Number 23 of 2019 concerning the Management of National Resources for State Defence (UU PSDN).
Referring to Article 63 of the UU PSDN, military mobilisation can be carried out by the President in a state of martial law or a state of war with the approval of the DPR. Based on these provisions, the coalition argued that the deployment of Komcad in a peaceful situation potentially exceeds the authority granted by law.
“We view that this deployment of Komcad is clearly an attempt to pit fellow civilians against one another,” said the coalition.
The Ministry of Defence denied deploying civil servant reserve components to assist in securing student protests on Friday, 12 June 2026. The Head of the Defence Information Bureau of the Ministry of Defence, Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, stated that the ministry did indeed hold an assembly for hundreds of civil servant Komcad members on Friday morning.
However, the activity was claimed to be unrelated to the security of the student protests occurring on the same day. Rico explained that the readiness assembly was part of a readiness test for Komcad members following their training.
“The activity was part of the readiness test and development of the Reserve Component members following previously planned training,” Rico said on Saturday, 13 June 2026.