KontraS: 59 Acts of Violence Involving Indonesian National Armed Forces Personnel in the Past Year

The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) revealed that there were 59 violent incidents involving members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) between October 2022 and September 2023.

KontraS Coordinator Dimas Bagus Arya explained that this figure does not fully represent the total number of actual cases in Indonesia.

"This shows that some TNI members still display arrogance in the field," wrote Dimas in a report published on the 78th TNI Anniversary, Thursday (5/10/2023).

He also detailed that the majority of violent acts committed by TNI members were acts of assault, totaling 32 cases.

The second most frequent were intimidation cases, at 15, followed by 11 cases of torture and 5 cases of sexual violence.

In addition, there were 3 shooting cases, 2 cases of inhumane punishment, and 2 cases of arbitrary arrest.

KontraS also highlighted several cases of violence committed by TNI members, one of which is the recent case in Rempang.

They argue that projects aimed at improving the welfare of the people should not become a platform for showcasing arrogant power and violence.

"And it is regrettable when the TNI is also involved," said Dimas.

This data was compiled based on KontraS's monitoring of local and national media, as well as their own advocacy data.

"(This report) is compiled as a form of KontraS's participation in providing input, criticism, and suggestions to the TNI institution, and to raise public awareness and provide education regarding issues of security sector reform," explained Dimas.

(Read also: TNI's 78th Anniversary, How Much is Indonesia's Military Budget Over the Last 23 Years?)