Arsonists Attack Bank and Military Vehicle in Indonesia Following Anti-Army Law Protests
Executive Summary
A militant anarchist collective in Bandung, Indonesia, has claimed responsibility for a coordinated arson attack targeting Hana Bank Indonesia and a military vehicle, in the wake of mass protests against the newly passed National Army Law. The group, which explicitly rejects affiliation with traditional leftist or social anarchist movements, described the attack as part of an ongoing anti-state insurrection and an expression of poetic violence.
Analysis
The arson followed demonstrations outside the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) building on March 21, 2025, where protestors opposed revisions to the TNI law, which allow active-duty military officers to assume civilian government roles. According to the group’s communique published on Abolition Media, the protest included the throwing of Molotov cocktails, propane, and firecrackers, eventually escalating to direct attacks on infrastructure.
Targets included two ATM machines and the main office of Hana Bank Indonesia, a subsidiary of South Korea’s Hana Financial Group. A military vehicle and a privately owned digital billboard were also set ablaze. The group stated their action was in response not just to the TNI law but to broader systemic conditions, declaring: “Death to the State! Death to an Entire Civilization!” Their message was framed as a poetic rejection of Enlightenment, state language, and political rationality.
While the communique did not directly reference specific financial links between Hana Bank and industrial projects, Hana Bank Indonesia has been scrutinized by environmental and human rights groups in recent years due to its indirect ties to coal projects like the Suralaya power complex, via investments criticized for exacerbating pollution and displacing communities. However, this context was not mentioned in the group’s statement.
The protest emerged as part of broader unrest following the controversial military law’s passage. Hundreds of students and activists demonstrated in Jakarta, warning of a regression toward Suharto-era militarism. Critics argue the law dilutes civilian control, extends military retirement ages, and opens civilian institutions to military influence, deepening fears of democratic backsliding.
This incident marks a sharp escalation from protest to sabotage and arson, indicating growing radicalization in opposition to militarization and corporate complicity. As Indonesia’s geopolitical posture shifts and the military’s role expands, confrontations between state forces and anti-authoritarian movements may intensify.
Sources
Reuters – Indonesia Parliament Passes Contentious Amendments to Military Law
BBC – Anger as Indonesia Law Allows Military Bigger Role in Government
Reuters – Green Groups Slam World Bank for Backing Indonesian Coal Plants
Business Korea – KEB Hana Bank’s Product Sales Controversy in Indonesia
KED Global – Korean Banks Expand Overseas After Record Profits
Bretton Woods Project – Coal Not Yet Confined to the “Old Days” by World Bank Group
