ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – Indonesia is stepping up its vigilance against a new and emerging threat known as Narrative and Legal Warfare (NLW), a non-military strategy aimed at undermining national sovereignty through narrative battles and the manipulation of legal instruments.
This warning was delivered by Deputy Minister of Defense Donny Ermawan Taufanto, representing the Minister of Defense, as he delivered the keynote address at a public dialogue forum on NLW organized by the Republic of Indonesia Defense University (Unhan RI) in collaboration with the Tagaroa Scholars Alliance at the President Lounge, Batavia Tower, Jakarta, September 24, 2025.
“Threats to sovereignty and national interests are no longer limited to conventional military aggression. NLW targets the economy, welfare, defense, and politics—often exploiting democracy and human rights issues as tools of disruption,” the Deputy Minister emphasized.
He highlighted the urgent need to distinguish between constructive criticism and subversive narratives driven by external interests, stressing that such clarity is vital to maintaining the integrity of government policy.
During the event, the Deputy Minister also introduced the visionary concept of Defence Intellectual Management (DIM), put forward by the Minister of Defense.
He underscored that DIM is not merely a theoretical framework but a practical necessity for today’s multidimensional threat landscape.
“The complexity of national challenges cannot be addressed with advanced weapon systems alone. We need adaptive and versatile intellectual defense capabilities that can respond effectively to increasingly sophisticated non-military threats,” he stated.
The forum, themed “Defence Intellectual Community: Strengthening National Narrative and Order for Sovereignty and Prosperity”, also featured prominent speakers including Chairman of the Unhan Alumni Association Dr. Dave Laksono, Professor of Law at the University of Indonesia Prof. Hikmahanto Juwana, Co-Founder of ACT Prof. Dr. Satya Arinanto, Founder of the Tagaroa Scholars Alliance Prof. Dr. Budi Susilo Soepandji, and APKASINDO representative Dr. Mutiara Panjaitan.
Through this dialogue, Indonesia’s defense intellectual community reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening national narratives, fostering collective awareness, and uniting efforts to counter the growing challenge of Narrative and Legal Warfare. (AT Network)
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