Civil-military relations in democratising Indonesia : the potentials and limits to change

Abstract

In light of the third wave of democratisation, the debate about civil-military relations remains largely unresolved. This study examines the Indonesian case; in spite of the ongoing efforts towards democratisation and the various internal reforms undertaken by the military since May 1998, there are certain imperatives that have remained constant. This is mainly due to the history and culture of the country and, more importantly, to the weakness of the civilian politicians, whose divisiveness has been the hallmark of the emerging democracy in Indonesia. Since the country remains politically and economically weak and continues to be threatened with disintegration by various separatist movements, the role and importance of the Indonesian military, especially its political role, continue to grow in significance under the new democratic setting. Eventually, the character of civil-military relations in Indonesia will be determined by the quality of political leadership, the state of the national economy, the temper of the national society, the state of threats to the territorial integrity and the preparedness of the military leadership to abandon their socio-political role. Even though the military has already begun to wind back its socio-political role, it remains one of the most important political forces in the country. To that extent, civil-military relations in Indonesia are in a state of flux, with both potential and limits characterising its evolution. Show more