Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform is urging the president and the House of Representatives (DPR) to revoke a telegram issued by Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander General Agus Subiyanto ordering his troops to go on high alert amidst the evolving conflict in the Middle East.
The coalition includes Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial), the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Amnesty International Indonesia (AII), the Human Rights Working Group (HRWG), the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), the Centra Initiative, Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW), the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Jakarta) and the Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy.
"The Coalition urges the president and the DPR to evaluate and revoke the telegram because it's unconstitutional and lacks urgency", the Coalition said in a statement on Monday March 9.
The Coalition stated that President Prabowo Subianto cannot remain silent on this. They believe that if Prabowo lets it stand, then it can be said politically that he is intentionally allowing this to happen in the political interests of the regime in confronting groups critical of those in power.
"Bearing in mind that the president's recent actions have drawn widespread public criticism and opposition, this means that the government is using the politics of fear against the public if the president does not revoke this telegram", they said.
The Coalition believes that the telegram also violates the Constitution because the deployment of military force should be in the hands of the president, not the TNI commander.
They also stated that Article 10 of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia states that the president holds supreme authority over the Army, Navy and Air Force.
This regulation is further reinforced by Article 17 of Law Number 34/2004 on the TNI, which emphasises that the authority to deploy TNI forces rests with the president.
"An assessment of developments in the national situation and evolving geopolitical dynamics, as well as TNI deployment, should be done by the president and the DPR as representatives of the people. Therefore, the TNI commander cannot and should not make assessments of the existing situation", stated the Coalition.
TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto ordered his troops to go onto high alert and prepare anticipatory measures for developments resulting from the conflict in the Middle East.
The TNI Commander's Telegram Number TR/283/2026 was signed by the TNI Commander's Assistant for Operations, Lieutenant General Bobby Rinal Makmun, on March 1, 2026.
The telegram contains seven instructions for TNI troops to be on alert and prepare a number of strategic steps domestically if the escalation resulting from the Iran-US-Israeli war continues to persist. (mnf/wis)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Koalisi Sipil Desak Presiden-DPR Cabut Perintah Siaga 1 Panglima TNI".]
