Military Commander on Alert Level 1 Instruction: Testing Personnel Readiness
TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto has spoken out regarding a telegram ordering his forces to implement Alert Level 1 readiness.
He stated that Alert Level 1 is standard military terminology. “We are testing the readiness of personnel and materiel; this is routine,” Agus said at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday, 10 March.
He did not respond when asked whether the Alert Level 1 instruction was related to escalating conflict in the Middle East, merely reiterating that the order was routine procedure.
Agus also addressed the movement of tactical vehicles around the National Monument in Jakarta, describing it as part of testing TNI personnel and materiel readiness. “For instance, we measure how many minutes it takes to mobilise forces from various regions to Jakarta, so that if something occurs in Jakarta, we can respond quickly,” he explained.
He further noted that each Military Regional Command (Kodam) maintains a dedicated battalion that immediately implements Alert Level 1 in response to natural disasters in its operational area.
The TNI Commander’s Telegram Number TR/283/2026, signed by Assistant for Operations to the Military Commander, Lieutenant General Bobby Rinal Makmun on 1 March 2026, has sparked considerable public debate. The telegram contains seven instructions directing forces to prepare strategic measures domestically in case the escalation between Iran and the United States-Israel alliance continues unabated.
The directive has drawn criticism from the Coalition of Civil Society for Security Sector Reform, which includes Imparsial, YLBHI, KontraS, Amnesty International Indonesia, the Human Rights Working Group, WALHI, Centra Initiative, ICW, LBH Jakarta, and SETARA Institute. The coalition has urged the President and Parliament to rescind the telegram.
“The coalition demands the President and Parliament evaluate and revoke the telegram because it contradicts the Constitution and lacks any urgent justification,” the coalition stated on Monday, 9 March.
The coalition argued that President Prabowo cannot remain silent on this matter. They contend that if Prabowo allows it to continue, it would politically suggest he deliberately permitted this to occur in service of regime interests in confronting groups critical of the government.
“Given that the President’s recent actions have faced considerable public criticism and rejection, this suggests the government is employing politics of fear against the population if the President does not rescind this telegram,” the coalition stated.
The coalition further argued the telegram violates the Constitution, as military force deployment authority should rest with the President, not the Military Commander. They cited Article 10 of the 1945 Indonesian Constitution, which designates the President as supreme commander of the army, navy, and air force, and Article 17 of Law No. 34 of 2004 on the TNI, which confirms that authority for deploying TNI forces lies with the President.