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Democracy and Military Oversight in Crisis: The Failed Civilianisation of Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence

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  • Marcus Mietzner

Abstract

In 1998, Indonesia endeavoured to civilianise its defence department after decades of military-dominated rule. This civilianisation project was widely seen as a crucial element of democratisation itself. But the initiative ended in disillusionment: by 2014, the ministry was again placed under a conservative former general, and in 2019, it came under the control of Prabowo Subianto, an ambitious ex-military leader with strong ties to the pre-1998 autocratic regime. As a result, the reform drive in the ministry came to a halt, and civilians were marginalised again. This article argues that several factors account for this reform failure: first, the ministry’s long subordination to the military prior to 1998; second, the lack of will and power on the part of civilian ministers between 1999 and 2014 to pursue meaningful reforms; and third, a larger roll-back of democratic reforms beginning in the 2010s. Embedding these latest developments in a larger historical context, the article demonstrates that the defence ministry has been a barometer of Indonesia’s fluctuating democratic quality over time.

Suggested Citation

  • Marcus Mietzner, 2023. "Democracy and Military Oversight in Crisis: The Failed Civilianisation of Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence," Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs, , vol. 10(1), pages 7-23, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:asseca:v:10:y:2023:i:1:p:7-23
    DOI: 10.1177/23477970231152014
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Glen Grant & Vladimir Milenski, 2019. "Defence models uncovered: how to understand the defence style of a country," Defense & Security Analysis, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(1), pages 82-94, January.
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