A NGO wants the government to scrap its plan to introduce mandatory military service, which could burden the state budget.

"The government will need to pay the monthly salaries of an additional 30,000 to 50,000 military personnel, which means a minimum of Rp 2 million per person," executive director of Indonesian human rights watchdog Imparsial, Poengky Indarti, said on Monday. She estimated that the total amount would exceed Rp100 billion per month.

The proposal, included in the draft bill on auxiliary reserves for national defense, would require civilians to undergo training and serve the country for defense purposes. Recently, the government, represented by the House of the Representatives, began deliberating the auxiliary reserves bill.

Poengky added that besides burdening the state budget, mandatory military service would also burden regional administrations with additional expenses.

"It is better for administrations to use their money for developing their regions and improving the welfare of their citizens than spending it on military service," she said, adding that many regions were still struggling to combat poverty.

Furthermore, she said that mandatory military service had been eradicated in some European countries because of the expense and changes in modern warfare, which prioritize improving defense technology and military capacity.