Indonesia’s government is openly promoting a larger role for the armed forces in everyday governance, from free meals to farm support, framing it as “people’s defense.” A rare full-page newspaper ad spells out the shift under President Prabowo Subianto, while fresh budget priorities and legal changes further embed soldiers in civilian programs—stirring unease over oversight and democratic backsliding.

What the Ad Signals

In a full-page message titled “No Longer Just the Military: Indonesia’s People’s Defense,” the Defense Ministry argues that national resilience requires soldiers to help deliver social programs. The ad points to free meal schemes, village cooperatives, and sectoral support as pillars of this approach, presenting uniformed involvement as an efficiency gain for health and agriculture. It also highlights an ambition to stand up hundreds of battalions within five years to underpin these goals, a scale that suggests enduring institutional change rather than a short-term surge.

Policy Moves and Business Pressure

The broader agenda has advanced alongside budget choices that expand social spending and boost defense outlays, tightening the state’s grip on strategic sectors. Prabowo has appointed senior officers to pivotal posts and backed legal revisions that make it easier to place military figures across government and state firms, including in resource-linked holdings. Allies frame this as a push for “prosperity-driven defense,” while supporters say it aligns coercive capacity with economic priorities.

Oversight Fears and Legal Backdrop

Activists, students, and some scholars see “securitisation” of civilian life, warning of echoes of past eras when the armed forces straddled politics and business. Petitions challenging the March amendments to military law focused on how the changes were made, but the Constitutional Court found no procedural flaws—leaving the substance intact for now. Rights groups caution that, absent stronger civilian checks, routine governance could tilt toward a uniform-first mindset.