JAKARTA – Indonesia’s appointment of an army general to run the national food procurement company has raised concerns about the expansion of military roles under President Prabowo Subianto, with a rights activist saying it also violated military laws.
Major General Novi Helmy Prasetya was named chief executive of Bulog, a powerful state logistics company in charge of government-controlled imports of rice and other important food staples, on the weekend, becoming the first active duty general in the role since the authoritarian regime of General Suharto.
Under military laws, soldiers are allowed to fill civilian posts only at state institutions in sectors such as defence, security, intelligence and disaster response. They are also not allowed to be involved in politics and business.
“This is a threat to democracy and a violation towards the law,” said Mr Ardi Manto Adiputra, director of Indonesian rights group Imparsial, late on Monday.
The armed forces are subject to the military justice system, which is separate from the civilian criminal code, raising issues of oversight and transparency at any government institution run by active duty officers, Mr Adiputra said.
State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Minister Erick Thohir said the appointment was a strategic move towards achieving a goal of food self-sufficiency, according to state news agency Antara.
The SOE ministry and the presidential communication office did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
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