The Indonesian Women’s Alliance had a press release via zoom on Tuesday (18/3) in collaboration with Konde.co, and Salsabila Putri as moderator. A number of organisations were present during the press release, as pointed out by Khotimatun from Asosiasi LBH APIK, who hoped that all people become aware and scrutinize the Law on the Armed Forces. This woman activist suggested that the public should be vigilant as shown by Indonesia’s own history that militarization started as a gradually process until it was achieved.

Khotimun added that people had to be uncompromising in order to save democracy. Human rights violation is ignored in Indonesia. The dominant military did not believe in gender equality and tended to solve problems through a security approach. Even land conflict had taken away women’s space and militarism kept eroding democracy and weakening institutions for democracy.

Dian Septi Trisnati from Marsinah.ID said that New Order Regime practices became normalised and New Order Regime represssion exploited women’s body and had been hidden to date. Repression continued, and the revision on the Armed Forces Law woud only worsen corruption."We demand that the military goes back to the barrack, reject revision on Armed Forces Law," she said.

Echa from Arus Pelangi stated that the revision of the Armed Forces Law would limit freedom enjoyed by the civil society, including those who were vulnerable, and opened more space for corrupt people to exploit the opportunities. The military had to return to the barrack, and not enter into politics and civil spaces. Even without the military going into politics and/or civil spaces, the Police had already committed repression. So once the military entered, the situation (re. intimidation) would even be worse. "They did not listen to our voices. And when the military entered the civil spaces, they would use violence and domination in the name of militarism, capitalism, and government authority (power) as had happened in Papua," said Echa.

In response to the Law on the Armed Forcess, Dede, from Perhimpunan Jiwa Sehat (PJS), said that it was important for people with disability to reject the revision of the Armed Forces Law, in order to make sure that democracy remained alive in Indonesia because militarism would kill civil society struggle. It was vital to keep the democracy by making sure that the revision on Armed Forces Law failed, because democracy is so vital in Indonesia according to Dede.

Dede also said that militarism contained ableism, with its root coming from an ideology that valued human based on machoism’s and ableism’s physical standard that only led to violence. This was exemplified recently when military personnel beat a deaf person, thus indicating how the military saw civilians as weak. This kind of arogance put a stop on many legal cases, i.e. Marsinah case.

Dede also saw military personnel with weapon stepped on the head of a person with disability. When the revision of the Armed Forces Law became law, then there would be ample space for the military to use violence and everyone could be targeted. The next point, for people with disability, was that there was a dark history whereby the military deemed people with psychosocial disability as nuisance the law and order. If we did not take history into consideration and not learn from it, then a repeat of the past could happen. Dede agreed that the best place for the military was in the barrack. And he did not wish to be an object of justification that the military was already inclusive.

There was also demand to use civilian court rather than the military court, in addition to the demand to reject the revision of the Armed Forces Law and the return to the Military dual-function.

Dhina Al Uyun paid her attention to the issue of motherhood, where the existing pattern led to discrimination. This had to be rejected as it marginalised campuses and kept the exploitation patter going. It was a complex situation with campus workers. "There was a call for rectors to assemble in the campus and a friend said that there seemed to be a pattern of bringing them in line and I feared that women would be repressed," said Dhina.

Mike Verawati said that discussion on the revision of the Armed Forces Law had started during previous government, and there were a number of voices expressed during that period.

It was not supposed to be in National Legislation Program in 2025. Then the question was “whose interests did it serve?” This was discussed in luxury hotel and not at the Parliament building? Mike added that militerism would keep democracy at bay and would not align with the principle of humanity and human rights. The military kept its eyes on the family planning participants during the New Order Regime. It was also actively distributing social aid, and today the military was also actively participating in Free-Nutritious Food program. The food was even delivered in “green trucks.” "Article 47 in the Law on the Armed Forces clearly changed the space where the military could be involved, which was in spaces where civil society should have been," said Mike.

Amelia, from Solidaritas Perempuan stated that the discussion regarding the revision of the Armed Forces Law happened in a luxury hotel. In 2024, 2,500 active military personnel were active in civilian posts. The government had better focusing its attention on making sure that the Law on the Protection of Domestic Workers became Law, and not on the Law on the Armed Forces.

Women were always victims of land conflicts and Military dual-function would certainly reduce their spaces. The government was adamant to officially endorse the Law for the Protection of Migrant Workers.

Ija, from FAMM Indonesia stated that the revision would open the way for authoritarianism. This was one of the strategic issues. FAMM indonesia saw a string affiliation between the military and businesses that would threaten women movement.

Emmy Sahertian said that geothermal issue was a major issue in East Nusa Tenggara. Emmy said that women were the hardest hit during land conflict and/or extraction conflict. The revision of the Armed Forces Law infringed on Pancasila. It would allow the military to regain the dual functions and the country would eventually become militarised. "This was their attempt to repress the society. It would be horrendous when women lost their space because of repression. I was a 98-activist and I saw 98-activists in government, and I am traumatised," explained Emmy. (Astuti)