The attack on the Tarakan Police Resort Headquarters (Mapolres Tarakan) in North Kalimantan, and the brutal assault carried out by approximately 20 members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) against police officers on 24 February 2025 at 11:00 p.m. Central Indonesia Time (WITA), constitutes a reprehensible act of violence, vigilantism, and a manifestation of a misguided and disgraceful esprit de corps. Whatever the motivation or background of this attack and assault, such actions are indefensible and must be prosecuted under the ordinary criminal justice system.
Conflicts between the TNI and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) that escalate into violence continue to recur. According to SETARA Institute’s records, no fewer than 37 incidents of conflict and tension occurred between 2014 and 2024. This figure represents only the tip of the iceberg, as many more conflicts and tensions that never reached public attention are believed to have occurred.
Almost all operational-level conflicts have been triggered by issues that are neither fundamental nor related to military duties, such as personal disputes, perceived insults, resistance to civilian law enforcement actions, misunderstandings, and provocations arising from false information concerning incidents involving TNI personnel that subsequently lead to attacks on police officers or police facilities. Although these incidents are unrelated to military duties, they have not been processed within the framework of the ordinary criminal justice system, despite the mandate of the TNI Law, which requires TNI personnel who commit ordinary criminal offenses to be prosecuted under general criminal law. The privileged position of TNI personnel, who remain outside the jurisdiction of the civilian courts, is one of the key factors contributing to the recurrence of such incidents.
Meanwhile, tensions at the elite level, although less visible to the public, are driven by competition over operational authority in certain regions, perceptions of unequal access to non-military positions, and various political legacies stemming from the period when Polri was still part of the TNI.
To date, conflicts and tensions at the grassroots level have largely been addressed through symbolic gestures and elite-level settlements. Artificial narratives of harmony and synergy between the TNI and Polri continue to be promoted, yet they fail to resolve the underlying causes of conflict, including the neglect of efforts to cultivate the patriotic character and professional mentality of personnel. Addressing these conflicts and tensions in a substantive and fundamental manner must focus on strengthening adherence to constitutional governance and democratic discipline, in which civilian supremacy remains the guiding political principle. Each institution should perform its constitutionally assigned role without exceeding the limits of its duties and functions. The need for stronger democratic discipline also extends to civilian politicians, who should refrain from involving the TNI and Polri in matters beyond their constitutional mandates. Politicians should not encourage the armed forces or the police to enter arenas that fall outside their institutional responsibilities.
The lessons learned from the recurring conflicts and tensions between the TNI and Polri should serve as important guidance for the House of Representatives (DPR) as it considers revisions to the TNI Law, the Police Law, the Prosecutor’s Office Law, and the Draft Criminal Procedure Code (RUU KUHAP). These legislative reforms must remain faithful and consistent with Indonesia’s constitutional and institutional framework, which has clearly defined the respective roles and functions of each institution. Parliament must not attempt to engineer legal provisions that exceed the limits established by the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia merely to accommodate particular institutions, as doing so would create constitutional disorder and new forms of political instability.
HENDARDI, Chairperson of the National Board, SETARA Institute