The Expansion of Emergency Powers: Social Conflict and the Military in Indonesia

Abstract

The exercise of emergency powers is always controversial. This article identifies the expansion of the type and scope of emergency powers through legislative reform. It does so by examining the Indonesian Law on Social Conflict 2012, which allows a state of social conflict to be declared at the national, regional or local level in response to social conflict, such as conflict between religious or ethnic communities. The deliberate choice of the term “state of social conflict”, rather than “state of emergency”, is an attempt to obscure the nature of these powers. Analysis of these powers and the debate that has ensued suggests that the law expands the types of situation in which powers usually only reserved for an emergency are used, and by delegating this power to local authorities, the law in effect amounts to the expansion of emergency powers. I suggest that this should lead to renewed focus on meaningful limits and checks on the exercise of power during times of emergency.

Perluasan Kekuasaan Darurat: Konflik Sosial dan Militer di Indonesia

Pelaksanaan kekuasaan darurat selalu kontroversial. Artikel ini mengidentifikasi perluasan jenis dan lingkup kekuasaan darurat melalui reformasi legislatif. Itu sehingga dengan memeriksa Undang-Undang Indonesia tentang Konflik Sosial 2012. Undang-undang ini memungkinkan keadaan konflik sosial dapat dinyatakan di tingkat nasional, regional atau lokal dalam menanggapi konflik sosial, seperti konflik antara masyarakat agama atau etnis. Pilihan sengaja ‘keadaan konflik sosial’ istilah, daripada keadaan darurat, adalah upaya untuk mengaburkan sifat kekuasaan ini. Analisis kekuatan ini dan perdebatan yang memiliki pun terjadi menunjukkan bahwa hukum memperluas jenis situasi di mana kekuatan biasanya hanya disediakan untuk keadaan darurat yang digunakan, dan dengan mendelegasikan kekuasaan ini kepada pemerintah daerah, hukum yang berlaku jumlah perluasan darurat kekuatan. Saya menyarankan bahwa ini harus mengarah pada fokus baru pada batas yang bermakna dan pemeriksaan pada pelaksanaan kekuasaan selama masa darurat.

Keywords:

• Indonesia
• emergency powers
• law
• conflict
• constitutional law
• military

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Professor Lyn Parker and Professor Hoon Chang-Yau for the opportunity to present this paper at the conference on “Negotiating Diversity in Indonesia”, organised in 2012 by the University of Western Australia and Singapore Management University, Singapore. I would also like to thank Michelle Miller, Jeremy Menchik, Jacqui Baker, Bhatara Ibnu Rezna, Indriaswati Saptaningrum and the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on an earlier version of the article. Any errors remain my own.

Notes

1. In terms of terrorism, Sidney Jones has argued that the military should not be given responsibility for counter-terrorism campaigns (Jones, 9 January 2012).

2. For a historical perspective on emergency powers in Myanmar, see Aung-Thwin (2009).

3. Article 12 of the Constitution. In addition, article 22 on the power of the president to issue a government regulation (known by the acronym “Perpu”) in lieu of law, amounts to another potential source of power to declare an emergency. For example, a Perpu was issued after the 2002 bombing by terrorists in Bali; see Hosen (2009) for other examples.

4. For an excellent report that explores the reasons behind disputes over places of worship, see Paramadina Institute (2012).

5. The commissions in the legislature and information concerning their role and bills under their portfolio can be found on the DPR website at http://www.dpr.go.id/id/Berita/Komisi-IX

6. Risalah Rapat Panitia Khusus Rancangan Undang-Undang Tentang Penanganan Konflik Sosial, DPR RI: RAKER I, 14 September 2011; RDPU I, 21 September 2011; RDPU II, 22 September 2011; RDPU III, 28 September 2011; RDPU IV, 29 September 2011; RDPU V, 29 September 2011; RAKER III, 12 January 2012; RAKER KE IV, 24 January 2012; RDPU V, 2 April 2012; RDPU VI, 5 April 2012.

7. Law 34/2004 on the military, art. 3(1).

8. Under Law 11/2012, it is mandatory for all Draft National Laws, Draft Provincial and Regency/City Regulations to be accompanied by either an Elucidation (Penjelasan) or an Academic Paper: Law 11/2012, art. 43(3), 56(2).

9. Government Regulation 2/2015 on the Implementing Regulation of the Law on Addressing Social Conflict 7/2012.

10. Putusan Nomor 8/PUU-XII/2014 [Constitutional Challenge to Law 7/2012 on Social Conflict].

11. For the list of constitutional rights and their limitations in the Indonesian Constitution, see Butt & Lindsey (2012, pp. 193–195).

12. Satuan Tugas Penyelesaian Konflik Social.

13. Art. 1(6) defines a “refugee” as a person who has been forced to flee their home or place of residence due to a threat to their personal safety, to property, to their workplace or to their livelihood.

14. Law on Social Conflict, art. 43, 46(4).