Abstract
The establishment of state-sponsored militia has raised concerns of human rights violations in non-international armed conflict in Indonesia. Most of the state-sponsored militia have been formed and tacitly supported by the Indonesian National Defense Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia) mostly based on the implementation of a concept called the Total People’s Defense and Security System (sistem pertahanan rakyat semesta-sishankamrata). The Total People’s Defense and Security System is the grand strategy adopted based on Indonesia’s experience during Indonesia’s physical revolution or armed struggle for independence (1945-1949) and recognized under the Second Amendment to the 1945 Constitution. This article will elaborate on, first, the constitutional history and ideology of ‘total people’s defense’ which contributes to the political ideology of the military and its relations with the existence of militia groups; and second, the active encouragement of militia abuses by the Indonesian military as part of a campaign to maintain control of regions seeking independence, along with the constraints imposed by the military itself on the manner in which it conducts such campaign.
Highlights
Indonesia is one of the newly emerging democratic countries in the world
This article will elaborate on, first, the constitutional history and ideology of ‘total people’s defense’ which contributes to the political ideology of the military and its relations with the existence of militia groups; and second, the active encouragement of militia abuses by the Indonesian military as part of a campaign to maintain control of regions seeking independence, along with the constraints imposed by the military itself on the manner in which it conducts such campaign
The Indonesian military came to be known as notorious for its human rights violations during the Soeharto era, and such behavior continued during the ‘reformasi’ era
Summary
Indonesia is one of the newly emerging democratic countries in the world. After Soeharto had stepped down in May 1998, Indonesia entered a critical phase of profound political-legal reform, including in the military. This concept of total warfare provided the foundation for military dominance during the authoritarian period, placing significant influence in the hands of military officers and putting basic civil liberties constantly at risk This militia is a civilian group recruited, trained and supported by state armed forces for doing ‘the dirty work’ of the military. It will explain the ideology behind the Total People’s Defense and Security System. By combining legal and political analysis, the paper is aimed at answering the overall problem in understanding the relation between the military and civilian people in the area of defense through the implementation of the Total People’s Defense and Security System
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