Minister Shifts Responsibility for Alleged Civil Servant Reserve Mobilisation to Defence Ministry
Minister for Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Rini Widyantini has stated that the authority to mobilise the reserve component (Komcad), including elements from the civil service, rests with the Ministry of Defence. The statement was made in response to allegations of Komcad ASN deployment to guard a demonstration titled ‘Indonesia Bangkrut’ (Indonesia Bankrupt) on Friday, 12 June 2026.
According to Rini, under Law Number 23 of 2019 on the Management of National Resources for State Defence, the training, appointment, and mobilisation mechanisms of the reserve component are the domain of the Ministry of Defence. “Therefore, questions regarding the form and basis of the Komcad deployment in yesterday’s event are more appropriately directed to the Ministry of Defence as the supervisory agency,” Rini said in a written message to Tempo on Saturday, 13 June 2026.
Rini explained that the role of the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform in managing the Komcad ASN is limited to civil service policy aspects. She also emphasised that the involvement of civil servants in the Komcad programme is voluntary and has undergone a selection process. Regarding the alleged involvement of ASN in the Komcad, Rini stated that her ministry did not issue any deployment instructions and is not in a position to assess the technical security aspects, which fall under the authority of other agencies.
According to Rini, the ministry’s primary concern is ensuring that the participation of civil servants in any programme does not disrupt their main duties or the continuity of public services. “We ensure that the participation of ASN in any programme does not interfere with the execution of their main duties and the continuity of public services,” she said.
Previously, the alleged involvement of Komcad soldiers in assisting with demonstration security drew scrutiny from the Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform. Concerns arose after a Defence Ministry warrant dated 11 June 2026, numbered B/572/VI/2026/BACADNAS, ordered approximately 500 Komcad ASN soldiers to participate in a readiness roll call at the Ministry of Defence on 12 June 2026. The coalition assessed that the deployment of the TNI and Komcad in handling the protest violated laws and regulations, arguing that handling demonstrations is the domain of civilian security forces, particularly the Indonesian National Police. “Military mobilisation should only be a last resort when all civilian apparatus are no longer able to control the situation,” the joint statement read.
Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, Head of the Defence Information Bureau at the Ministry of Defence, later denied that the readiness roll call was related to securing the student demonstration that took place on the same day. Rico stated that the activity was part of a readiness test and development for Komcad members following their training. “The activity was part of a post-training readiness test and development for Komponen Cadangan members that had been planned beforehand,” Rico told Tempo on Saturday, 13 June 2026.