Hundreds of students and lecturers from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) held a protest against the Military Law Amendment Bill at the UGM Central Office courtyard on Tuesday, Mar. 18, 2025.
Dressed in dark-colored clothing as a symbol of concern, they took turns delivering speeches, rejecting the bill that they believed could revive the dual function of the military seen during the New Order era, when the military held power and controlled the state for 32 years.
Dr. Herlambang Wiratman, a UGM Faculty of Law (FH UGM) lecturer, stated that the revision bill undermines civilian supremacy in democracy by allowing military personnel to hold civilian positions.
He criticized the government’s and Parliament’s reckless process, which he said ignored public participation.
According to Dr. Wiratman, this bill is not urgent, especially when there are 41 prioritized bills in the National Legislation Program (Prolegnas).
“The campus will not stay silent in the face of oppression. The campus must safeguard reforms, reject dual functions, reject militarism,” Dr. Wiratman declared.
Dr. Achmad Munjid, a lecturer at the UGM Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB UGM), voiced a similar criticism. He viewed the process as suspicious and believed there was an agenda to restore the dual function, which was abolished in the post-Reform era.
“The people must not allow the military to encroach on civilian affairs and must remain vigilant in monitoring this bill,” he warned.
Markus Togar Wijaya, a UGM law student who participated in the protest, expressed his concern about the bill’s discussion process.
As a law student, he felt that the current process betrayed the law and the mandates of the Reform era.
“It is important for students to monitor this legal process and raise public awareness about this critical moment,” he said.
Professor Fathul Wahid, the Rector of Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII), also attended the protest. He expressed UII’s readiness to oppose the controversial bill.
According to Professor Wahid, this opposition is based on the history of the military’s dual function during the New Order, which led to the supremacy of the military, repression of civilians, and various forms of violence.
The protest resulted in five key demands. First, the protesters demanded that the government and Parliament cancel the revision of the Military Law, which they criticized as non-transparent, rushed, and dismissive of public input, calling it a constitutional crime.
Second, they called on the government and Parliament to uphold the constitution and not betray the Reform agenda by preserving civilian supremacy and equality before the law and rejecting the military and police’s dual functions.
Third, they urged the military/police to reform internally and enhance professionalism to restore public trust.
Fourth, they encouraged all academic communities across Indonesia to take a firm stand against actions that weaken democracy, violate the constitution, and support the reinstatement of the Reform agenda.
Fifth, they called on civil society to safeguard the Reform agenda by monitoring and controlling the performance of the government and Parliament.
Author: Lazuardi
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang
Photographer: Donnie