The Tamesis
jakarta – The Army has successfully established 155 so-called territorial development battalions as of April, sparking concerns over plans outlined by the government in November to establish one unit in each of Indonesia’s 514 counties and cities. The new battalions are tasked with supporting development initiatives such as food security and infrastructure projects.
D. Nicky Fahrizal, a security analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Jakarta, said the move reflected Prabowo’s accelerated “securitization” attempts to view welfare, economic and infrastructure projects as “security tools.”
“This attempt at securitization is reflected in the expansion of the battalions. It strengthens the state’s presence across regions while emphasizing [the military] as a repressive tool for national development,” Nikki told a Center for Strategic and International Studies media briefing on Monday.
Nikki also highlighted the massive expansion of the army’s recruitment target for new battalions, with approximately 24,000 soldiers (Tamtama) expected to serve in non-combat roles.
He further criticized the “normalization” of these territorial camps, which he said should only be established for wartime or emergency purposes and not for day-to-day situations.
“When military operations designed to respond to emergencies become normalized in peacetime, countries become increasingly militarized,” he said.
Nikki noted that “militarization is creeping in” as more and more militaries are increasingly involved in civilian areas, from food estate development to flagship free meals schemes.
Recently, the military will participate in the state-funded Education Endowment Fund (LPDP) scholarships, where they will reportedly help inject nationalist sentiment into the program’s recipients.
“You have to ask: ‘What is the purpose?’ Even if the goal is to increase patriotism, it doesn’t necessarily come from the military,” Nikki told jakarta post After the briefing.
Why don’t you stop quickly?
The battalion’s expansion coincides with a “significant” increase in defense and security spending during Prabowo’s presidency and a reduction in fiscal transfers to regional governments, pointing to a shift in national priorities, the Center for Strategic and International Studies researcher noted.
Nikki said that if this trend continues in the coming years, it could lead to “bureaucratic stagnation” and ultimately “the silencing of critical voices and the stigmatization of civilian opposition.”
“The pattern is there and there has been a fiscal shift under this government,” he added.
In Papua, similar concerns have been raised about how conflicts are often resolved through military action rather than using an approach that takes into account “political and economic factors”, which should be a priority, said Vidhyandika Djati Perkasa, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“Once these issues are framed as security and sovereignty issues, military logic tends to dominate, which may narrow the space for dialogue,” Vidyadika said at the same event.
