President Prabowo Subianto is accused of eroding the firewall erected between the military and civilian spheres after the fall of Suharto in 1998. Indonesia’s Defense Ministry published a full-page advertisement in the country’s largest newspaper yesterday, defending the government’s decision to allow the military to run non-defense-related government programs. After taking his cabinet on a four-day military-style retreat at the National Military Academy after his inauguration, the 73-year-old former general has used the military for various tasks, including the implementation of his free school lunch program and his administration’s food security initiative. Among the most significant changes came in March, when lawmakers approved changes to the 2004 Indonesian Military (TNI) Law, expanding the government’s ability to appoint serving military officers to civilian positions. This has now been extended to include five more agencies: the Attorney General’s Office, National Disaster Mitigation Agency, National Counterterrorism Agency, Indonesian Maritime Security Agency, and National Agency for Border Management.