| Evan A. Laksmana | Singapore, 19 November 2008 |
In late August, the Indonesian press aired an age-old debate about the possibility of a military coup in Indonesia. The issue was sparked by President Yudhoyono’s announcement of a 1.6 trillion rupiah (US$ 1.6 billion) budget cut in defence spending next year.
Observers have noted that a budget cut could hamper Indonesia’s fledgling military reform as it slows down effort to create a minimum essential force. Some even went further by saying that if this trend continues, there is a possibility that the Indonesian military (TNI) could follow the coup path of the Thai military (Kompas, 25/08/08).
Filed under: Civil-Military Relations
