Indonesia is deploying more than 20,000 troops and personnel to Jakarta, officials said on November 4, as investigators examine alleged illegal surveillance of President Prabowo Subianto. AP reported the deployment and the detention of three senior police generals. Authorities have not officially linked the troop movements to the investigation, according to Deutsche Welle.
The presidential palace confirmed Wednesday that Prabowo had dismissed his chief of staff, Listyo Sigit Prabowo. The former national police chief had taken the presidential post last month, AP reported. The cabinet secretariat said the president signed the dismissal that morning and appointed Lieutenant General Aryo Windutomo as acting chief of staff.
Police allege that the suspects intercepted communications without authorization in 2025 and 2026, targeting the president and other public figures, AP reported. Journalists, politicians and businesspeople were among the alleged targets. Deutsche Welle reported that the government had yet to establish a motive and that the suspects had not publicly responded to the allegations.
Military spokesperson Major General Muhammad Nas described the troop movement as a routine measure to maintain national security, according to Deutsche Welle. The absence of an officially confirmed connection to the surveillance case leaves the deployment's relationship to the arrests unclear. The allegations against the detained officers remain under investigation.
State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said the suspected conduct could threaten national interests and the safety of the country's leadership, according to the cabinet secretariat. He described it as potentially tending toward treason, rather than announcing a court finding. The government said it had coordinated with the police chief to keep public services functioning while the legal process continues.
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