On May 23, Lieutenant General Djaka Budhi Utama, an active member of the Indonesian military, was sworn in as the director-general of the customs and excise office within Indonesia’s Finance Ministry. This appointment is notable because Djaka Budhi Utama was previously convicted of kidnapping pro-democracy activists, a fact that has drawn significant public attention. The move is part of a broader pattern under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, in which active military officers have been placed in senior civilian government positions. Critics have raised concerns about the implications for civil-military relations and the potential impact on democratic governance in Indonesia. The appointment has been reported by Channel News Asia (CNA), and it marks one of the highest-profile instances of an active-duty officer assuming a key civilian post in recent years.