M. Rizki Yusrial, Jakarta – Protesters demanding the repeal of the Indonesian National Armed Forces Law (TNI Law) continue to gather at the main gate of the House of Representatives (DPR) Building, Senayan, Jakarta.
Their arrival follows the official passage of the bill, marked by House Speaker Puan Maharani's gavel strike during a plenary session on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
According to Tempo's field observations, the demonstrators comprise students from Muhammadiyah University Prof. Dr. HAMKA, the Indonesian Women's Alliance, and various civil society groups. Meanwhile, students from the University of Indonesia are en route to the Parliament in a convoy.
The crowd began assembling at around 12:30 PM WIB (Western Indonesia Time), carrying protest banners with messages such as "Return the TNI to the Barracks." A protest leader stated that the drafting process of the TNI Law lacked public participation.
He emphasized that the House should have prioritized transparency in discussing revisions to the law.
Furthermore, the demonstrators argued that the new law, which they believe reinstates the dual-function doctrine reminiscent of the New Order era, risks repeating a dark chapter in Indonesia's history.
"Can you imagine our president bringing back our past tragedies?" one protester shouted from the command vehicle.
As previously reported, Speaker Puan Maharani officially ratified the TNI Bill during the plenary session on March 20, 2025.
"We now seek approval from all factions on the Bill amending Law No. 34 of 2004 concerning the Indonesian National Armed Forces. Can we pass it into law?" she asked.
The attending lawmakers responded in unison, "Agreed," followed by Puan's gavel strike.
House Commission I Chairman Utut Adianto explained that discussions on the TNI Bill began on February 18, 2025, when the House received a letter from President Prabowo Subianto appointing government representatives to deliberate on the bill. That same day, House leadership sent a confirmation letter regarding the bill's discussion.
On February 27, 2025, Commission I held an internal meeting to establish a working committee comprising 23 members.
"The four factions in Commission I have conducted a series of discussions with key stakeholders and ensured active public participation in the process," Utut stated during the 15th plenary session at the House of Representatives on March 20, 2025.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1988707/protesters-gather-at-dpr-main-gate-demand-repeal-of-tni-la