Presidential Special Advisor for National Defense, Dudung Abdurachman, stated that recent demonstrations in Jakarta and other regions do not warrant the declaration of martial law.
Speaking at the Presidential Palace on Thursday, Abdurachman emphasized that such a decision involves complex procedures.
“So far, I haven’t heard any mention of martial law. If it were to be declared, the process would be lengthy,” he said.
He clarified that the deployment of Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) was intended to assist police in maintaining public order, not to signal a shift toward emergency rule.
“In my view, the situation is far from requiring martial law. As seen in Aceh, the stages begin with civil order, followed by civil emergency, and only then martial law,” he explained.
Abdurachman stressed that crisis response must be proportional and based on clear priorities.
“If martial law were to be declared, it would need to follow a structured sequence of priorities,” he added.
The recent protests across Indonesia were primarily fueled by public outrage over a proposed monthly housing allowance of Rp50 million (about US$3,000) for members of parliament, which many considered excessive amid rising living costs and a weak economy.
The situation was exacerbated by several legislators' comments that were perceived as insensitive and out of touch, such as comparing themselves to manual laborers, calling protesters "dumb," and justifying the allowance by citing their own long commutes.
The demonstrations escalated and became more violent after a video went viral showing a police tactical vehicle running over and killing a motorcycle taxi driver during a protest in Jakarta.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Asri Mayang Sari
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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