Security Challenges and Military Reform in Post-authoritarian Indonesia: The Impact of Separatism, Terrorism, and Communal Violence

Abstract

For over a decade, observers have witnessed the development of military reform in Indonesia. This reform is a significant part of the country’s political transformation, one that was precipitated by the end of Suharto’s long dictatorship (1966–1998). The evaluation of military reform is, however, mixed. There is a consensus that the military elite has contributed significantly to the dismantling of the authoritarian political system by accepting the public demand for military withdrawal from politics and supporting a peaceful transition to democratically-elected civilian governments during the post-Suharto period. Unlike in Thailand and the Philippines, where civilian political elites use the military in everyday power struggles, and generals intimidate and pressure civilian governments, the Indonesian military (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, or TNI) has succeeded in maintaining a degree of institutional autonomy vis-à-vis political elites. This perception fuels opinion that TNI is seriously committed to institutional self-reform with a goal of professionalizing the organizational orientation.