Lawmakers in Indonesia last week approved the amendment of a 2004 military law aimed at expanding the armed forces' role beyond defense and into civilian affairs.

The new law allows active-duty military personnel to hold civilian positions in 14 government institutions without resigning, an increase from 10 institutions in the previous law.

The revised legislation, supported by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's coalition, has sparked fears of a return to the era of the country's late dictator, Suharto.

Under Suharto's leadership, Indonesian troops killed over one million people between 1965 and 1966. His New Order regime also facilitated the genocide in East Timor.

Indonesia is now considered Southeast Asia's largest democracy, gaining its independence from Dutch rule in 1945. It underwent reform in 1998, which pushed Suharto to resign and limit military roles.

Human rights activists question transparency

After the passing of the law, crowds in major cities such as Jakarta and Surabaya gathered to express their disapproval and growing concern about the military's dual function, particularly its increasing role in civilian affairs.

Activists complained that there was a lack of transparency before the passing of the revised law.

Dimas Bagus Arya, coordinator at the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), a Jakarta-based NGO, questioned the speed at which the law was revised.

"The discussion was done very quickly, rushed, and seemed to be hidden. There was even a consignment process that was done on Friday, Saturday, Sunday in a private place, even though this was meant for the public interest," Arya said in an interview with DW.

"There is a situation where the ratification of a law is procedurally flawed because it leaves out public participation and does not comply with the work procedures of DPR [House of Representatives] members."

Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, a former three-star army general, denied accusations that the discussions prior to passing the amendment were not transparent.

"We no longer adhere to the New Order," he told local media. "Now, it is an order that aims to uphold the development of the [Indonesian National Armed Forces'] strength while respecting democracy and civil supremacy."

Growing concern over military's dual function

During Suharto's era, the military operated under a dual function, maintaining national security through the armed forces, while also managing the country through public officials such as ministers and governors.

The Indonesian military even had designated seats in the parliament.

"The dual function that people are worried about is when the military leaves its non-defense function," Al Araf from Jakarta-based human rights monitor, Imparsial, told DW.

"There are two aspects to consider: their involvement in civil positions, and their participation in non-defense operations."

The revised law states that an active military officer is permitted to hold positions in offices overseeing the coordination of national politics and security, national defense, the state secretariat handling presidential secretariat affairs, and the presidential military secretariat.

Non-defense positions that may be held by officers include roles in state intelligence, cybersecurity, disaster management, counter terrorism, the Attorney General's Office, and the Supreme Court.

Despite Subianto's ties to Suharto's authoritarian regime, he softened his image for last year's presidential election campaign and vowed to continue in the footsteps of his popular predecessor, Joko Widodo.

However, during the early stages of Subianto's presidency, many noted the military's involvement in several government programs, such as free school lunches and the distribution of cooking gas cylinders.

Subianto appointed the army officer Teddy Indra Wijaya, commonly known as Major Teddy, as Cabinet Secretary. Major General Novi Helmy Prasetya is serving as President Director of Perum Bulog, Indonesia's state logistics agency responsible for food security — marking the first time since the Suharto era that an active-duty general has led the agency.

"This [revised law] only provides a legal umbrella for policies that are not actually pro-democracy, meaning that the military is used not only as a defense tool but also as a social tool and to assist the country's political work," Arya from Kontras said.

He also raised his concerns that the new law could hinder professionalism when it comes to defending the country.

"The role of soldiers is to maintain the sovereignty and defense of the country. With additional tasks besides its main tasks, it is clear that our military is very unprofessional, meaning that professionalism is measured by how much the TNI [Indonesian National Armed Forces ] is able to carry out its main tasks," Arya said.

In a speech after the bill was passed into law, Sjamsoeddin said tht amendments were necessary because geopolitical changes and global technology required the military to transform "to face conventional and non-conventional conflicts."

"We will never disappoint the Indonesian people in maintaining the sovereignty of the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia," he said.

Tezar Aditya Rahman in Jakarta contributed to this article.

Edited by: Keith Walker