Norman Joshua

Weak Civilian Institutions Are Pulling Indonesia’s Military Into Governance

Norman Joshua argues that Indonesia’s 2025 expansion of the military’s role into cybersecurity, border management and disaster response reflects a broader model of “governance through security,” in which the armed forces compensate for weak civilian administration. While Indonesia faces legitimate defense and regional-security pressures, he contends that assigning civilian functions to security institutions blurs democratic lines of accountability and can entrench the military in domestic governance. His proposed remedy is stronger civilian capacity, not a diminished defense posture.