New Law on Quelling Social Conflicts Opens the Door to Military Intervention

The House of Representatives recently issued Law No. 7 of 2012 on Social Conflict Management (“Law No. 7/2012”). The law governs the powers and authorities conferred upon executive authorities at the Central (President), Provincial (Governor), and Regency/City (Regent/Mayor) levels in dealing with violent social disturbances and contains stipulations on conflict prevention and post-conflict rehabilitation and reconciliation.

Law No. 7/2012 is of interest primarily to the civic communities who rely on mass demonstration to express their concerns, such as laborers and students, given that such activities may potentially be classified as “social conflict” under this Law.

Law No. 7/2012 adopts an all-encompassing definition of social conflict as (Article 1(1)):