Indonesia expands military role into medicine production, sparking authoritarianism fears
The president, a former defence minister and special forces commander, has expanded the powerful military's role in civic affairs since taking office last year — including running much of his flagship project to serve free school meals.
In March, parliament, dominated by Prabowo's coalition, also passed a revision to military law that allows more civilian posts to be occupied by soldiers, sparking protests by student and activist groups.
The moves have dismantled some of the safeguards put in place after authoritarian leader General Suharto was overthrown in 1998 and raised fears of a return to an era when the armed forces were allowed to crush dissent and dominate public life.
Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin late yesterday signed an agreement with the food and drug agency for laboratories operated by the army, navy, and air force, which previously supplied medicines for soldiers, to begin manufacturing drugs for public use.
'We are thinking of ways to lower the price even more so we could provide free medicines,' Sjafrie told reporters.
Mass production will begin in October and the medicines will be distributed to villages across Indonesia at 50 per cent below the retail price, Sjafrie said.
Military involvement is expected to curb the flow of illegal medicines and fight the 'mafia' in the medical industry, said the drug agency's head Taruna Ikrar.
But rights groups have said that the agreement was unlawful as it brought serving military officials into civilian business positions — prohibited under military law.
'This is a symptom of how the government has shifted into authoritarianism,' said Usman Hamid from Amnesty International Indonesia.
The military and Prabowo's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The medicines will be distributed by 80,000 state-backed cooperatives launched by Prabowo on Monday, Sjafrie said.
Prabowo's cooperatives were set up to boost economic activity and cut out middlemen by providing services directly to the general public including giving loans and selling medicines and staple foods.
The defence minister has also signed another agreement with the health ministry to build hospitals staffed by military doctors and nurses in conflict areas, including Papua province, where a low-level insurgency has battled for independence for decades. — Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
15 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
DR Congo, Rwanda hold first talks after peace deal
Rwanda denies providing military support to the M23 armed group. (AP pic) NAIROBI : The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have held their first talks after signing a peace deal to end decades of deadly conflict in mineral-rich eastern Congo, the two African countries said today. Eastern DRC, a region bordering Rwanda with abundant natural resources, has been plagued by violence for more than three decades and the unrest has claimed thousands of lives. Yesterday, 'representatives from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Rwanda (Rwanda), along with observers' held their first meeting in Washington since signing a peace deal in the US capital on June 27, according to a joint statement released by both nations on social media today. The agreement was hailed as a significant milestone by the African Union and the United Nations and follows a long series of truces and ceasefires that have been systematically broken. The deal outlines provisions for the 'respect for territorial integrity and halting hostilities' in eastern DRC, which are still however to be implemented. It also includes economic measures but has few details. Violence intensified at the beginning of the year in the DRC's volatile east with the capture of the major city of Goma by the M23 armed group and Rwandan troops in January, followed by Bukavu in February. According to the Congolese government and the UN, the violence has left thousands dead and exacerbated a humanitarian crisis for hundreds of thousands of displaced people. Since February, the front has stabilised. But violence continued between the M23 and a motley group of pro-Kinshasa militias engaged in guerrilla warfare. The Rwandan-backed M23 armed group and Kinshasa also signed a declaration of principles in Qatar earlier this month, including a commitment to a permanent ceasefire. Rwanda denies providing military support to the M23 but says its security has long been threatened by armed groups, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), established by ethnic Hutus linked to the massacres of Tutsis in the 1994 Rwanda genocide. The DRC is the world's leading producer of cobalt and has deposits of gold and other valuable minerals including coltan, a metallic ore that is vital in making phones and laptops.
Free Malaysia Today
15 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Cambodia to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize, says deputy PM
US President Donald Trump also received Nobel Peace Prize nominations from both Pakistan and Israel. (AP pic) PHNOM PENH : Cambodia will nominate US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, its deputy prime minister said on Friday, following his direct intervention in halting the Southeast Asian country's recent border conflict with Thailand. Asked via text message to confirm Cambodia's plan to nominate Trump for the prize, Sun Chanthol responded, 'Yes.' Speaking to reporters earlier in the capital, Phnom Penh, Chanthol thanked Trump for bringing peace and said he deserved to be nominated for the prize, the highest-profile international award given to an individual or organisation deemed to have done the most to 'advance fellowship between nations'. Pakistan said in June that it would recommend Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in helping to resolve a conflict with India, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month he had nominated Trump for the award. It was a call by Trump last week that broke a deadlock in efforts to end the heaviest fighting between Thailand and Cambodia in over a decade, leading to a ceasefire negotiated in Malaysia on Monday, Reuters has reported. Following the truce announcement, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X that Trump made it happen. 'Give him the Nobel Peace Prize!' she said. At least 43 people have been killed in the intense clashes, which lasted five days and displaced more than 300,000 people on both sides of the border. 'We acknowledge his great efforts for peace,' said Chanthol, also Cambodia's top trade negotiator, adding that his country was also grateful for a reduced tariff rate of 19%. Washington had initially threatened a tariff of 49%, later reducing it to 36%, a level that would have decimated Cambodia's vital garment and footwear sector, Chanthol told Reuters in an interview earlier on Friday.
Malay Mail
18 hours ago
- Malay Mail
US tariff cut, regional diplomacy signal Malaysia's return to global relevance under Anwar's leadership, says DAP sec-gen
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — Malaysia is carving out a more influential role for the country and for Asean on the world stage, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke said today. He said the recent reduction of United States tariffs on Malaysian goods from 25 per cent to 19 per cent reflects how the country – and by extension, Asean, which it currently chairs – is regaining its footing globally under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. 'We are working to position ourselves as a 'middle power' while opening new strategic space for Malaysia to rise and advance once again,' Loke said in a statement. He added that Malaysia remains competitive even though it maintains a higher trade surplus with the US compared to its regional peers. 'Our current tariff rate is now on par with other countries in the region,' he noted. The US lowered trade tariffs for Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia to 19 per cent on July 31, while Singapore retained its rate at 10 per cent, Brunei at 25 per cent, Laos and Myanmar at 40 per cent. The new rates come into force from August 7. Loke said Malaysia's leadership as this year's Asean chair has also helped the country regain international relevance. He said Putrajaya played a key role in facilitating peace talks between Thailand and Cambodia, and confirmed that Trump would attend the upcoming Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur. This, Loke said, reflects growing confidence in Malaysia's leadership and diplomatic credibility. He credited Prime Minister Anwar's 'pragmatic, patient and constructive' approach for elevating Malaysia's position in regional security. Under the Madani government, he added, Malaysia has helped steer Asean into becoming a stronger and more cohesive bloc. Loke said Malaysia's diplomatic performance may not always make headlines, but the benefits are real — from easing trade tensions to fostering regional peace. 'The Madani government has not only delivered tangible economic benefits, but also elevated Malaysia's global standing,' he said.
