Indonesia Just Took a Giant Step Back in Time
On Thursday, the world's third-largest democracy took a step back in time. Indonesia's House of Representatives unanimously passed revisions to the 2004 Armed Forces Law, significantly expanding the military's role in public life. This risks a dangerous return to the country's authoritarian past, undoing decades of hard-won democratic progress since the fall of former President Suharto's military dictatorship in 1998.
This isn't just Indonesia's problem. It's part of a global trend where strongmen exploit democratic systems to consolidate power. The archipelago sits at the heart of the US-China rivalry in the Indo-Pacific, and a return to military influence could have far-reaching consequences for regional stability.
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