Military justice reform in Indonesia

Bhatara Ibnu Reza, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of New South Wales and researcher for IMPARSIAL, the Indonesian NGO, has written this op-ed on the need for reform of Indonesian military justice. Excerpt:

The government of President Joko Widodo should take immediate actions to reinstate the military justice reform. It can propose a new bill or start over the draft revision of the 1997 Military Tribunal Law. Military justice system reform is imperative under Article 27(1) and 28(D)(1) of the 1945 Constitution’s Second Amendment.

It is a must for the government to engage the House to share this burden. As part of the amendment human rights principles should be acknowledged as a key value that will prevent soldiers from violating human rights and to protect their fundamental rights. Furthermore, the amendment will end the chain of impunity. 

On the part of the TNI, which celebrates its 71st anniversary today, its defiance of military justice reform will sacrifice its glorious history and its pride as the national defense force.