TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The President of the Student Senate of the State Islamic University of Ar-Raniry, Teuku Raja Aulia Habibi, rejected the plan to establish a Territorial Battalion by the Indonesian National Army (TNI) in Aceh. According to him, the presence of the battalion violates the spirit of peace and betrays the provisions of the Helsinki agreement between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in 2005.

This rejection is not the first expressed by Teuku Raja. He has been seen several times rejecting the plan to deploy thousands of soldiers who will be stationed in the Aceh region through the concept of this Territorial Battalion. Most recently, Teuku Raja expressed this rejection when giving a speech at the national BEM-SI event titled Indonesia (C)emas.

"We urge the government to cancel the construction of a new battalion in Aceh, both those that are ongoing and those still in the planning stage," he said in a written statement on Monday, August 4, 2025. "We urge the government to transparently disclose the data on the number of organic troops stationed in Aceh in accordance with the provisions of the Helsinki MoU."

Teuku Raja highlighted the seemingly unresponsive attitude of the Acehnese students' actions regarding this rejection. He took the initiative to come to Jakarta to voice his rejection of the construction of the Territorial Battalion. "When we were present (protesting) in front of the State Palace, the response remains the same. It's as if we never spoke," he said.

According to Teuku Raja, the construction of this battalion is not only a matter of defense, but also touches on the complex historical, social, and political aspects of Aceh. He explained that this rejection is not a disagreement with safeguarding the country's defense, but it is done to prevent old wounds from reopening. "We don't want that dark history to repeat itself," said Teuku Raja.

Previously, the Head of Information Service (Kadispen) of the Indonesian Army Brigadier General Wahyu Yudhayana explained that the formation of the Territorial Battalion was not for combat troops, but for food security and health services.

Initially, the notion of establishing the Territorial Development Battalion was put forward by Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin during a working meeting with the DPR Commission I on November 25, 2024. Sjafrie stated that the idea was President Prabowo Subianto's initiative.

Sjafrie mentioned that the president set a national strategy so that each regency, currently totaling 514, could be guarded by one territorial infantry battalion. This battalion is reinforced by two reserve component battalions. The goal is to create security stability while supporting community welfare.

The Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform also rejected this concept. According to the coalition, this policy deviates from the main mandate of the TNI as the state defense apparatus as stipulated in the constitution and the TNI Law.

Meanwhile, the Commission I of the People's Representative Council, which oversees defense, requested the Indonesian Army to consider the plan to establish the territorial development battalion. Deputy Chairman of the DPR Commission I, Dave Akbarshah Fikarno Laksono, cautioned the TNI to apply caution in following up on this plan.

"The TNI has the main task as a state defense apparatus and any policy involving troop recruitment must adhere to the principles of professionalism and combat readiness," said Dave when contacted on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.

Dian Rahma Fika and Daniel Ahmad Fajri contributed to the writing of this article.

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