Latest news with #PuanMaharani
The Star
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
House speaker Puan warns Indonesian govt against whitewashing history
Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister I Gusti Ayu Bintang Darmawati (left) handing over a document on the government's response to the deliberation of the mother and child welfare bill to House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani (right) during a House plenary session at the Senayan legislative complex in Jakarta in a file photo fromn June 4, 2024. - Antara JAKARTA: Speaker of the House of Representatives Puan Maharani has warned Culture Minister Fadli Zon, who currently leads the job of rewriting Indonesia's national history, against what she called promoting a distorted version of the country's past. Puan, the granddaughter of the country's founding president Sukarno, said that in rewriting the country's history, the Fadli-led initiative must present a comprehensive look into the past instead of promoting what the government regards as fitting with its political agenda. "What matters the most is never to engage in an obfuscation or erasing some parts of history and failing to straighten up that history," Puan said as quoted by Antara. Earlier on Monday, House Commission X overseeing education and culture held a hearing with activists and historians to get their take on the government's plan to rewrite the history books, an endeavour that Minister Fadli expected to wrap up before the celebration of the country's 80th Independence Day anniversary in August this year. The activists and historians have rejected the controversial plan, warning that it could whitewash the country's darkest chapters and serve only the interests of President Prabowo Subianto. A former Army general, Prabowo has faced long-standing allegations of human rights abuses taking place in the late 1990s, claims that he has consistently denied. The Culture Ministry pressed ahead with the work to rewrite the country's history despite claims from lawmakers that they were not consulted about the plan. Commission X chairperson Hetifah Sjaifudin said lawmakers had not yet been briefed by the ministry about the plan. "To be very honest, we haven't had the opportunity to have a direct meeting on what issues will be revised or how the process will take place," Hetifah told reporters on Monday. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
Arab News
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Indonesian students lead nationwide protests against controversial military law
JAKARTA: Indonesian students staged nationwide protests on Monday against a contentious revision to the military law that activists say threatens the nation's young democracy. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at regional government offices in various Indonesian cities, including Batam, Kupang, Lampung and Sukabumi, as well as the country's second-largest city, Surabaya. A smaller group also turned up in front of the parliament building in Jakarta. With most of them clad in black, protesters held banners that read 'Return the military to the barracks' and 'Watch out! New 'New Order' is right before our eyes.' Activists have taken to the streets since Wednesday to protest against controversial amendments to the 2004 Law on Indonesian Armed Forces, which aimed to broaden the military's role beyond defense. Indonesia's House of Representatives unanimously passed the revisions on Thursday, allowing active military officers to take up more government posts, including the Attorney General's Office, the Supreme Court and the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs. The changes also raise retirement ages by several years for most ranks. Highest-ranking four-star generals can now serve until 63, for example, up from 60. Puan Maharani, the speaker of the lower house who led the vote in a plenary session, said the revised law would remain 'grounded in democratic values and principles, civilian supremacy (and) human rights.' Meanwhile, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, a former three-star army general, said it will make the military more effective. In a speech after the bill was passed into law, he said the amendments were necessary because 'geopolitical changes and global military technology require the military to transform … to face conventional and non-conventional conflicts.' The revisions were proposed by allies of President Prabowo Subianto, who took office last October and served as a general under the dictator Suharto. Activists have warned that the move is a threat to Indonesia's democracy, which the nation gained in 1998, after 32 years of Suharto's 'New Order' military dictatorship. 'The bill was not made with proper public consultation. It was rushed,' Andreas Harsono, senior Indonesia researcher at Human Rights Watch, told Arab News. 'This law elevates the threats to Indonesia's democracy. It's not only regressing but going back to square one.' He highlighted how youth protests erupted immediately across Indonesia, with students 'demanding the amendments to be canceled,' as the revisions still have to be signed into law by Prabowo. 'I am pretty surprised to see their anger. It showed that these young people are not happy with the bigger roles of the military in non-security affairs,' he said. Okky Madasari, Indonesian novelist and sociologist, said the law could be used as a 'legal tool to further expand military's involvement in businesses' and jobs that have nothing to do with defense or military, which are 'reminiscent of Suharto's New Order Regime.' She told Arab News: 'The immediate results will (mean) the further deterioration of Indonesia's democracy, with less and less freedom of speech.' But the nationwide protests, along with active social media campaigns across platforms, show that such dangers are not lost on some Indonesians. 'Indonesian youths, who have been exposed to cosmopolitanism and globally accepted values and are very aware of their rights and obligation, will continue to forge a resisting force against this growing authoritarianism and militarism under Prabowo Subianto,' Madasari said.
Japan Times
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Indonesia parliament passes changes to military law amid protest and concern
Indonesia's parliament passed revisions to the country's military law on Thursday, allocating more civilian posts for military officers as hundreds of students and activists protested against the legislation. The revisions have been criticized by civil society groups, who say it could take the world's third-biggest democracy back to the draconian 'New Order' era of former strongman president Suharto, when military officers dominated civilian affairs. Speaker Puan Maharani led the unanimous vote in a plenary council and officially passed the law, saying that it was in accordance with the principles of democracy, human rights and civil supremacy.
NBC News
20-03-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Indonesia parliament passes contentious amendments to military law
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia 's parliament on Thursday passed contentious revisions to the country's military law, which will allocate more civilian posts for military officers, and street protests against the changes are expected to take place. The revisions have been criticized by civil society groups, who say it could take the world's third-biggest democracy back to the draconian 'New Order' era of former strongman president Suharto, when military officers dominated civilian affairs. Speaker Puan Maharani led the unanimous vote in a plenary council and officially passed the law, saying that it was in accordance with the principle of democracy and human rights. President Prabowo Subianto, who took office last October and was a special forces commander under Suharto, has been expanding the armed forces' role into what were considered civilian areas, including his flagship program of free meals for children. Rights groups have criticized the increased military involvement because they fear it may lead to abuses of power, human rights violations, and impunity from consequences for actions. The government has said the bill requires officers to resign from the military before assuming civilian posts at departments such as the Attorney General's Office and a lawmaker has said officers could not join state-owned companies, to counter concerns the military would be involved in business.
South China Morning Post
20-03-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Indonesia passes contentious changes to military law amid protests
Indonesia's parliament passed revisions to the country's military law on Thursday, allocating more civilian posts for military officers as hundreds of students and activists protested against the legislation. Advertisement The revisions have been criticised by civil society groups, who say it could take the world's third-biggest democracy back to the draconian New Order era of former strongman president Suharto, when military officers dominated civilian affairs. Speaker Puan Maharani led the unanimous vote in a plenary council and officially passed the law, saying that it was in accordance with the principles of democracy, human rights and civil supremacy. President Prabowo Subianto , who took office last October and was a special forces commander under Suharto, has been expanding the armed forces' role into what were considered civilian areas, including his flagship programme of free meals for children. Indonesian students and activists try to tear down a gate during a protest against the revision of the country's military law in front of the Parliament building in Jakarta. Photo: EPA-EFE Rights groups have criticised the increased military involvement because they fear it may lead to abuses of power, human rights violations and impunity from consequences for actions.
