Expert Concerns Over Threats Behind Reactivation of Indonesian Military Territorial Command Post
The position of Kepala Staf Teritorial (Kaster) within the Indonesian Military (TNI) has been reactivated under the Prabowo Subianto administration, more than two decades after being abolished in 2001 by then-President Abdurrahman Wahid. Military Commander General Agus Subiyanto appointed Lieutenant General Bambang Trisnohadi to the post, following his previous role as Commander of the Joint Regional Defence Command III.
Security scholars have expressed concern over the reactivation. Unpad Professor of Politics and Security Muradi warned that the position could pose a threat to civil liberties, describing it as a “time bomb for civil freedom” if implemented. He argued that the Kaster would blur the boundaries between military, police, and regional government functions, reversing the reduction in military intelligence and security roles that occurred after 2001.
Muradi questioned the strategic justification for the post, noting that current Middle Eastern conflicts involve primarily air and naval warfare rather than ground operations. He suggested that if the reactivation were truly intended to counter such threats, resources would be better invested in naval fleets and missile defence systems rather than terrestrial military structures.
Khairul Fahmi, Co-Founder of the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies, acknowledged public concern was understandable given the historical context. He noted that the 2001 abolition of Kaster was central to ending the Indonesian Armed Forces’ “dual function” doctrine, wherein the military exercised political and social control alongside security roles. Fahmi emphasised that the TNI now bears a “historical burden of proof” to demonstrate the reactivation is not a return to such practices.
However, Fahmi argued the reactivation could be justified within modern security frameworks. He contended that contemporary threats—including food security crises, natural disasters, radicalisation, cyber attacks, and information warfare—require stronger territorial detection and coordination systems. Upgrading the position from Assistant Territorial (Aster) to Kaster, he suggested, could strengthen the military’s ability to orchestrate territorial development at a strategic level, particularly through Military Operations Other Than War.
Fahmi noted the reactivation aligns with the Prabowo government’s broader national defence agenda, which conceptualises security beyond purely military dimensions to encompass territorial resilience, food security, and crisis preparedness. The TNI’s territorial network, he argued, serves as a critical linking mechanism between national defence and community strength at regional level.
Nevertheless, Fahmi cautioned that success would depend entirely on implementation approach. The “greatest challenge” for Kaster, he stated, would be ensuring territorial development occurs through synergy and collaboration with civilian authorities rather than military domination of civilian space.