00:00So, what can we expect from the Prabowo administration now that the amendment to Indonesia's military
00:05law of 2004 has been passed?
00:07I see a strengthening of the military over the civilian leadership, you know, going forward.
00:15And this is disconcerting.
00:17The revision of the military law was the initiative of the parliament and not of the commander
00:24of the armed forces.
00:26So this is bewildering.
00:27If we go deeper here, the question would be, when these military officers commit corruption
00:34or fraud or other offenses connected to their civilian positions, will they be tried in
00:41civilian or military courts?
00:44This is one of the fundamental questions if we are to establish civilian supremacy in
00:50a democratic country.
00:52Indonesia developed into a democratic society after the downfall of the Suharto regime in
00:571998.
00:58What impact will these new legal amendments have on the country's democracy?
01:02This revision of the military law is one in a string of new laws or law revisions or policies
01:12that pose a challenge to the fundamental basis of Indonesia's democracy in general.
01:16The silver lining is, I mean, we have to have a silver lining in all situations, that this
01:22situation actually strengthens civil society in Indonesia.
01:26Civil society is interestingly the one keeping the checks and balances mechanism still working
01:31in Indonesia albeit from outside of the system and in a time when democratic institutions
01:38are severely weakened.
01:40Are there any other ways civil society can ensure accountability of military officials
01:45in the civilian government?
01:46I think the first thing I expect that the civil society would consider to ask for a
01:50judicial review from the constitutional court, especially because we know that the parliament
01:57had not followed the principle of meaningful participation during their deliberation of
02:02the bill, which should have adequately included the society, right?
02:07Another way also is to continue critically observing and protesting.
02:14Continuing being vigilant is important, but of course it would take a lot of civil society
02:18energy, but we don't have any other choice.
02:22This is important for Indonesia's democracy going forward.
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