Should the Position of Chief of the TNI Territorial Staff Be Revived?

The headquarters of the Indonesian National Armed Forces has revived the position of Chief of the Territorial Staff (Kaster) this year. The Kaster position was abolished 25 years ago during the administration of President Abdurrahman Wahid, commonly known as Gus Dur, as part of the military reform agenda following the fall of the New Order regime.

The Kaster position has now been entrusted to Lieutenant General Bambang Trisnohadi, who previously served as Commander of the XXIV Mandala Trikora Military Regional Command. Bambang Trisnohadi is assisted by Major General Suhardi as Deputy Kaster.

The decision to revive the position has attracted scrutiny from several military observers, particularly because the policy has emerged during the administration of President Prabowo Subianto. Reine Prihandoko, Senior Analyst of Security Policy at the Indonesia 2045 Laboratory, expressed regret at the move.

According to Reine, the abolition of the Kaster position at the beginning of the reform era was an important part of efforts to limit the socio-political role of the military. He described the abolition of the position as a legacy from retired Lieutenant General Agus Widjojo to support the consolidation of military reform. Agus, who passed away in early 2026, previously served as Chief of the Territorial Staff two decades ago.

Reine stated that the duties and functions of the Kaster TNI have the potential to overlap with social and political functions, as occurred before the position was abolished. “If revived, my assessment is that it will be aimed at developing regional structures,” he said on Saturday, 14 March 2026.

He also highlighted that the policy emerged alongside the defence institution’s plans to establish approximately 750 territorial development battalions across various regions of Indonesia. According to Reine, this plan could explain the rationale behind reviving the Kaster position. “It is unsurprising if the Kaster TNI is revived to prepare its organisational framework,” he said.

Reine expressed concern that the revival of the Kaster position could serve as a gateway for the military to interfere in civilian and political affairs. It is possible, he warned, that the risk of military dominance in the civilian sphere would increase if the boundaries between civilian and military relations are not maintained. “It must therefore be ensured that its authority and duties are truly only to support defence interests, and must not usurp the functions of regional government,” Reine stated.

Selamat Ginting, a political and military expert from Universitas Nasional, cautioned that the revived Kaster should not create the perception that the military wishes to reinforce its dominance in the civilian sphere. According to him, it would be more appropriate if the existence of the Kaster TNI were focused solely on the function of the universal national defence and security system.

The TNI stated that the policy was adopted as part of organisational adjustments in response to evolving operational challenges. Major General Aulia Dwi Nasrullah, head of the TNI Information Centre, said that the decision to revive the Kaster position was made based on various strategic considerations, including efforts to adapt to evolving operational challenges.

He explained that the Kaster officer would be tasked with assisting the Commander in formulating organisational policy. The Kaster TNI would also be responsible for managing the territorial function, which is one of the military’s primary functions. “Particularly in strengthening TNI cohesion with the people and in developing defence regions,” he stated on Saturday, 14 March 2026.