JAKARTA; Thousands of military personnel have been deployed across the Indonesian capital following the arrest of three police generals over alleged unauthorised wiretapping of President Prabowo Subianto.
A widely circulated internal document of the Indonesian Military (TNI) details plans to mobilise nearly 21,000 Navy personnel to reinforce security in Jakarta, outlining a four-phase deployment under the operational control of the Jakarta Military Command.
The deployment plan reportedly followed an instruction issued by TNI Commander Gen. Agus Subiyanto for a large-scale troop mobilisation through a military telegram dated Nov 2.
Navy spokesperson First Adm. Tunggul M. Han confirmed the deployment on Wednesday, saying it was part of “efforts to maintain national security and stability, as well as preparations for upcoming military exercises” in several locations near Jakarta.
TNI spokesperson Maj. Gen. Muhammad Nas meanwhile said the TNI “must remain on alert to protect the nation and safeguard the integrity of Indonesia”, Antara reported.
According to the document, the mobilisation was scheduled to take place from Monday to Wednesday, with troops drawn from regional commands and military institutions across Java and Lampung, using both land and sea transport, including two Navy vessels, KRI Makassar and KRI Dr Soeharso.
The first phase involved 2,100 personnel from units already stationed in Jakarta. A further 5,740 personnel from outside the capital were scheduled to arrive in the second and third phases on Wednesday.
The remaining 13,140 personnel are to be placed on standby at their respective military bases, ready for deployment if required.
Dozens of military trucks were seen stationed at the National Monument (Monas) complex near the Presidential Palace on Wednesday afternoon, while dozens of Police Mobile Brigade vehicles were spotted earlier that morning around the Hotel Indonesia (HI) roundabout, where anti-government student protests took place last week.
The troop mobilisation came amid an unfolding wiretapping scheme involving Listyo and two other police generals, Ahrie Sonta Nasution, Prabowo's former adjutant, and Eko Hadi Santoso, who were arrested on Tuesday on allegations of unauthorised wiretapping of the President and other prominent figures between 2025 and 2026.
Listyo served as police chief from 2021 under former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and retained the post under Prabowo until last month, when he was reassigned as presidential chief of staff.
Coordinating Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Correctional Services Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said on Tuesday night that the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) was still investigating the purpose of the wiretapping and that they had not found indications of treason.
But the government began taking a tougher stance on Wednesday, with Cabinet Secretary Prasetyo Hadi announcing that the surveillance could be an act of “treason [...] that may endanger the President’s safety and threaten national security”.
Prabowo on Wednesday dismissed Listyo from his post and appointed three-star Army general Aryo Windutomo as acting presidential chief of staff pending the appointment of a permanent replacement.
“The President has expressed profound concern. There are inevitable consequences that must be addressed because one of the suspects is the presidential chief of staff,” said Prasetyo, who is also a politician from Prabowo’s Gerindra Party.
Senior law minister Yusril also said on the same day that the police investigation had begun to point towards possible treason, involving an alleged attempt to “incapacitate the President to prevent him from performing his duties”.
The scandal has sent shockwaves through the country’s political establishment, with former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of the Democratic Party warning that the political climate is becoming increasingly “wild” and that “political actors” seemed to be willing to use any means necessary to gain power.
The wiretapping came at a precarious moment for Prabowo, whose domestic standing has already been challenged by rising inflation, a plummeting stock market, falling approval ratings and persistent street protests over his flagship programmes and the ongoing forest fires.
Military analyst Aris Santoso said the large-scale troop deployment to Jakarta, particularly Marine Corps personnel, was likely intended to prepare for a possible escalation in political tensions following Listyo’s arrest, including during possible upcoming demonstrations.
“The deployment of marines has strategic value, as their image of being close to the people could help reassure the public and allow them to feel at ease,” Aris said.
But Yusril downplayed the security concerns, saying “there have been no worrying disturbances”.
Listyo’s arrest came as Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the son of Jokowi, faces renewed calls for impeachment following a court ruling invalidating his education certificate, while Jokowi himself is expected to testify on Thursday as a witness in a defamation trial linked to his contested university diploma.
