Prabowo's Military Expansion Tests Indonesia's Democratic Reforms

Hundreds of New Units and a Wider Role in Government

Indonesia has established more than 100 new army battalions under President Prabowo Subianto, with plans for 500 more over the next five years. Its defense budget for 2025 has risen to nearly $15 billion as the government pursues the country's largest military expansion and restructuring since the authoritarian era of Suharto.

By August 28, 2025, the changes extend far beyond soldiers, bases and weapons. The armed forces are taking on duties in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, school meals and land management. A revision of the armed forces law passed in March allows serving military personnel to hold posts in more civilian government agencies.

Prabowo, a former special forces commander with a controversial past, presents the expansion as necessary to protect Indonesia and support national development. His government says a stronger military can defend a vast archipelago, respond to disasters and deliver services where civilian institutions struggle.

Human rights groups and democracy advocates see a different danger: the return of a military presence in politics and daily life that Indonesia sought to dismantle after Suharto fell in 1998. Their concern centers on whether the world's third largest democracy and Southeast Asia's most populous nation can strengthen its defenses while preserving civilian control.

The debate involves two connected changes. Indonesia is enlarging its military organization and buying advanced weapons, while also giving soldiers more responsibilities outside defense. Supporters defend both as practical responses to national needs. Critics argue that the second could undermine democratic reforms and distract the armed forces from the first.

Why Prabowo Wants a Stronger Military

Prabowo has repeatedly argued that military strength is essential to independence. Explaining his position, the president has said:

no nation can be independent without one.

At a ceremony in West Java, Prabowo inaugurated dozens of military units, including six new regional army commands, 14 naval commands and three air force commands. These commands form part of the structure through which the armed forces organize personnel and operations across the country.

Prabowo used the ceremony to connect the expansion with conflict and uncertainty abroad. The president said:

The world is full of uncertainty, and even if we dislike war, wars are happening everywhere.

His administration points to geopolitical tensions stretching from the South China Sea to Europe. It argues that Indonesia needs stronger defenses to deter threats, protect its territory and respond when natural disasters strike its thousands of islands.

Supporters say the Indonesian National Armed Forces, known as TNI, have long lagged behind regional peers in modernization and readiness. They regard the expansion as overdue, particularly for an archipelago where moving personnel and equipment between islands is central to responding quickly.

The restructuring seeks to spread military capacity beyond Java. Proponents say a wider distribution of forces would improve rapid response and bring assistance closer to remote communities where civilian infrastructure is weak. New special forces and marine units are also part of the expansion.

A Larger Budget and Competing Priorities

Indonesia's defense budget for 2025 has reached nearly $15 billion, an increase described as between 37% and 50% over the previous year. The money supports both the creation of units and advanced weapons acquisitions, including Turkish KAAN fighter jets and ballistic missiles.

The scale of the restructuring has brought questions about financial sustainability. Creating hundreds of units requires funding alongside the government's plans to modernize equipment. Critics question the opportunity costs, meaning what other priorities receive less money when defense spending grows.

Some military analysts argue that Indonesia should devote more resources to advanced warfare capabilities and external defense instead of expanding territorial commands and social programs. Their concern is about the kind of military the spending produces, as well as its size.

Critics also argue that distributing personnel among many smaller units and civilian assignments could weaken combat readiness and professional training. Supporters see wider deployment as a way to make the armed forces more useful across the archipelago. Both positions turn on how Indonesia allocates its people, equipment and money.

Soldiers in Farms, Pharmacies and Public Services

The new battalions are expected to support agriculture, animal husbandry and food security alongside their defense responsibilities. The government says these units will not receive combat training and are intended to help increase food production and rural development.

Military involvement is also expanding into medicine manufacturing. Under an agreement signed by the defense minister and the food and drug agency, laboratories belonging to the army, navy and air force will begin making medicines for the public. Previously, those laboratories supplied only soldiers.

Officials say the arrangement aims to reduce costs and curb the circulation of illegal medicines. Mass production is expected to begin soon, with distribution through 80,000 cooperatives backed by the state and launched by Prabowo. No precise starting date was given.

The armed forces are also involved in running free school meal programs, building hospitals in conflict areas such as Papua, and participating in land reclamation from palm plantations whose rights have expired. The administration presents these activities as ways to improve welfare and work around inefficient civilian bureaucracies.

For communities, these policies put military institutions closer to everyday needs, including food, medicines and health care. Officials argue that military organization can improve delivery, lower costs and remove corrupt middlemen. Critics question whether soldiers have the specialist knowledge required to run farms, pharmaceutical operations and other civilian services effectively.

What the March Law Changed

Parliament's revision of the armed forces law in March 2025 provides a legal foundation for a broader military role. It expands the number of government agencies where personnel on active duty may hold civilian posts from 10 to 14 and extends the retirement age for officers.

The agencies covered include the attorney general's office, the state secretariat and the counterterrorism agency. The change adds four agencies to the previous total, widening the scope for serving personnel to work within civilian government.

Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin has said the amendments are necessary to adapt to new forms of conflict, including cyber threats and terrorism. Military chief General Agus Subiyanto has also argued that the old law is outdated and that the armed forces must adjust to new challenges.

The defense ministry insists that the military cannot interfere in civilian affairs. It describes the changes as an increase in the capacity to protect Indonesia's territory and support development.

Civil society groups dispute that reassurance. They argue that allowing more serving officers into civilian institutions weakens the boundary between military command and government administration. For them, the central issue is who makes public decisions and how those decision makers can be held accountable.

Why the Suharto Era Shapes the Debate

Suharto's New Order regime, from 1966 to 1998, gave the military an extensive presence in politics, business and daily life. Its doctrine of dwifungsi, or dual function, justified a role in both security and civilian affairs.

The doctrine helped the military dominate public institutions, suppress dissent and maintain order during crises for more than three decades. That history explains why today's expansion into civilian government has drawn such strong objections from democracy advocates.

After Suharto's fall in 1998, Indonesia pursued reforms intended to build a professional military focused on external defense, politically neutral and answerable to civilian authority. The 2004 military law restricted serving personnel from holding civilian posts and sought to strengthen military professionalism.

Critics view the March amendments and the new civilian assignments as a reversal of those reforms. They fear that practices once associated with military dominance could become a normal part of government again.

The main developments span several decades:

• 1966 to 1998: Suharto's New Order gave the military broad security, political and civilian roles under dwifungsi.
• 1998: Suharto's fall opened a period of reforms aimed at civilian supremacy and military professionalism.
• 2004: The military law restricted civilian posts for personnel on active duty.
• March 2025: Parliament expanded the number of agencies permitted to employ serving military personnel from 10 to 14 and extended officer retirement ages.
• By August 28, 2025: More than 100 new army battalions had been established, with plans for 500 more over the next five years.

Rights Groups Warn of Abuses and Impunity

Andreas Harsono, senior Indonesia researcher at Human Rights Watch, has connected the changes to the military's record in civilian affairs. He said:

President Prabowo appears intent on restoring the Indonesian military's role in civilian affairs, which were long characterized by widespread abuses and impunity. The government's rush to adopt these amendments undercuts its expressed commitment to human rights and accountability.

Human rights groups warn that embedding military personnel more deeply in civilian institutions could enable abuses of power and make it harder to hold those responsible accountable. They also fear that a stronger military presence in public life could discourage dissent.

Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia, described the direction of government policy in stark terms:

This is a symptom of how the government has shifted into authoritarianism.

Students and democracy groups have protested in Jakarta and other cities. The demonstrations have so far been small and quickly dispersed, while activists continue to warn about political impunity and the weakening of civilian institutions.

Critics also question the practical results of military involvement in business and public services. They cite past failures and inefficiencies in military farming and pharmaceutical ventures, arguing that a larger military role does not automatically provide the expertise those activities require.

The Government's Case for Security and Efficiency

Prabowo's government and its supporters reject accusations that the country is retreating from democracy. They say Indonesia's size, diversity and geography create challenges that require military support, including natural disasters, separatism and threats that cross national borders.

Officials present the military as an institution capable of delivering services where civilian administration is slow or weak. Its involvement in agriculture and medicine production is intended to strengthen supplies, cut costs and improve access, while welfare programs are presented as part of national development.

Some analysts point out that military involvement in civilian activities grew under Prabowo's predecessor, Joko Widodo. In their view, Prabowo is accelerating an existing policy rather than starting it. They cite disaster response and infrastructure projects as areas where the military has made useful contributions.

The disagreement is therefore about both scope and control. Supporters see a practical use of military capacity to meet urgent needs. Critics see the risk that temporary assistance becomes lasting authority over areas that civilian institutions should manage.

Papua Brings the Human Rights Debate Into Focus

Papua is among the most sensitive areas affected by the expansion. New special forces units are being deployed to a region with a long independence movement and a history of accusations against Indonesian forces over human rights abuses and harsh security tactics.

Those accusations have fueled local resentment and international criticism. Rights groups fear that an increased military presence could intensify tensions and lead to further abuses.

The government says the new units are needed to maintain order and provide humanitarian assistance. Military participation in building hospitals and distributing medicines is part of that broader presence.

Some critics view those services as an effort to win public support while also strengthening control. Papua brings the two sides of the debate together in one place: the government presents soldiers as providers of security and welfare, while rights advocates demand protection from abuses and meaningful accountability.

How the Expansion Could Affect Southeast Asia

Indonesia's location places its defense decisions within wider regional rivalries. Disputes in the South China Sea, rising Chinese assertiveness and global instability all shape the government's argument for a stronger military.

Prabowo's administration says greater military strength can deter external threats and help maintain regional stability. The shift toward deployments beyond Java, together with advanced military technology, is part of that strategic calculation.

Some analysts warn of a security dilemma. This happens when a country strengthens its military for protection, but its neighbors interpret the same changes as a threat and respond with their own military measures.

An editorial in The Jakarta Post expressed that concern about the expansion:

The expansion risks sparking a security dilemma, where defensive measures are misperceived as aggressive, potentially unsettling Southeast Asia's delicate balance.

Recommendations for reducing those risks include defense diplomacy, measures that build confidence between countries, and operating procedures designed to avoid provocation. Such steps would give neighbors a clearer understanding of Indonesia's intentions as its forces grow.

The Test for Civilian Control

Indonesia's expansion combines a larger territorial military presence, advanced weapons purchases and a broader role in public administration. Its consequences will be felt in defense planning, government offices, rural development programs and communities receiving food or medical assistance.

The government's case rests on security, national unity, resilience and more efficient delivery of services. Critics focus on military professionalism, the cost of expansion, protection of human rights and the independence of civilian institutions.

Indonesia's reforms after 1998 sought to place the armed forces under civilian authority. Prabowo's program now tests how that principle operates when soldiers are asked to defend the country while taking on more work in government and the economy. Preserving democratic accountability alongside stronger defenses is the central challenge.

Key Points

• Indonesia has established more than 100 new army battalions and plans 500 more over the next five years.
• The 2025 defense budget has risen to nearly $15 billion, with spending supporting new units and advanced weapons.
• A March 2025 legal revision expanded eligible civilian agencies for serving military personnel from 10 to 14 and extended officer retirement ages.
• Military duties now reach into agriculture, medicines, school meals, hospitals and land management.
• The government argues that the changes strengthen security and public services; critics warn of weaker civilian control, inefficiency and impunity.
• Deployments in Papua and the regional response to Indonesia's growing forces add human rights and security concerns to the debate.