Andrie Yunus Testifies on KontraS's Interruption During Army Law Deliberation

Petitioners’ witness, Andrie Yunus delivering his testimony during the resumed hearing on the judicial review of Law No. 3 of 2025 on the Indonesian National Armed Forces, Monday (14/07). Photo by MKRI/Ifa.

Jakarta (MKRI) – Andrie Yunus, Deputy Coordinator of External Affairs of the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (Komisi untuk Orang Hilang dan Korban Tindak Kekerasan – KontraS), appeared as a witness for the Petitioners in Case No. 81/PUU-XXIII/2025 concerning the formal judicial review of Law No. 3 of 2025 on the Amendment to Law No. 34 of 2004 on the Indonesian National Armed Forces (Army Law). The hearing took place on Monday, July 24, 2025.

Andrie stated that on Saturday, March 15, 2025, KontraS and members of a civil society coalition entered the Ruby Room on the third floor of the Fairmont Hotel in Jakarta, where the deliberation on the Army Bill was taking place. Armed with posters and an open letter, Andrie delivered a message during the meeting, which was chaired by the head of DPR’s Commission I. Shortly after, KontraS members were forcibly removed from the room, with Andrie stating that he and a journalist were physically pushed out, causing him to fall to the floor.

Andrie explained that the information on the deliberation of the Army Law surfaced unexpectedly on Thursday, March 13, 2025, after he received a DPR document outlining the event schedule. Despite efforts, KontraS was unable to access official legislative documents, such as the academic draft, inventory of issues (DIM), or the bill’s draft itself.

Following the interruption, Andrie reported experiencing intimidation, including anonymous phone calls traced to individuals affiliated with various organizations, and visits from unknown individuals to the KontraS office. These incidents included late-night visits by groups of physically imposing men and an unannounced visit from someone claiming to be a journalist. Andrie was also reported to the police under several articles of the Criminal Code for his actions at the hotel, as learned through inquiries from journalists.

Andrie emphasized that the interruption was necessary because there was insufficient time to wait for the legislative documents to be made public before the scheduled ratification of the Army Bill on March 20, 2025. He emphasized that the action was intended to encourage the DPR to open up public participation, not just in legislative documents, but also in broader engagement with the lawmaking process.

Based on its monitoring, KontraS concluded that the legislative process for the Army Bill was conducted in a non-transparent manner. Efforts by civil society to peacefully express concerns and criticism were met with repressive actions by state apparatus, including the TNI and Police.

The Petitioners also presented Fajri Nursyamsi, Deputy Director of the Center for Law and Policy Studies, as an expert. Fajri argued that the enactment of Law No. 3 of 2025 violated the proper stages of planning and drafting and failed to uphold the principle of transparency, resulting in the absence of meaningful public participation.

Also read:

Petition on Army Law Highlights Armed Forces Assignment to Ministries

Reviewing Indonesian National Army Law Legislation Process

DPR: Continued Discussion on the Army Law Bill Depends on Political Agreement

Expert: Army Law Legislation Process Unconstitutional

Development of Meaningful Participation Test in the Making of Army Law

The hearing was convened concurrently for Cases Number 45, 56, 69, 75, and 81/PUU-XXIII/2025 in the Plenary Courtroom. Seven students filed Case Number 45/PUU-XXIII/2025: Muhammad Alif Ramadhan, Namoradiarta Siaahan, Kelvin Oktariano, M. Nurrobby Fatih, Nicholas Indra Cyrill Kataren, Mohammad Syaddad Sumartadinata, and R. Yuniar A. Alpandi. Students, including Moch Rasyid Gumilar, Kartika Eka Pertiwi, Akmal Muhammad Abdullah, Fadhil Wirdiyan Ihsan, and Riyan Fernando, filed Case Number 69/PUU-XXIII/2025. Case Number 81/PUU-XXIII/2025 was filed by the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), the Participatory Society Initiative for Just Transition (Imparsial), the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (Kontras), along with individuals Inayah WD Rahman, Eva Nurcahyani, and Fatiah Maulidiyanty.

The Petitioners essentially questioned violations of several principles in the formation of laws and regulations as stipulated in Article 5 of the Lawmaking Law. These principles include the principle of clarity of purpose, the principle of appropriate institutional or official authority, the principle of conformity between the type, hierarchy, and content, the principle of implementability, the principle of utility and effectiveness, the principle of clarity in formulation, and the principle of openness.

In their petitum, the Petitioners requested the Court to declare that the formation of Law No. 3 of 2025 on the Amendment to Law No. 34 of 2004 on the Indonesian National Armed Force does not meet the requirements of law formation under the 1945 Constitution, to declare Law No. 3 of 2025 does not have legally binding force, and to reinstate Law No. 34 of 2004 on the Indonesian National Armed Forces.

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Andrie Yunus Testifies on KontraS's Interruption During Army Law Deliberation