Indonesian activist charged with insulting military

JAKARTA: Indonesia has charged a rights activist with allegedly insulting the country’s military, sparking a protest from campaigners who derided it as "ludicrous" and an attack on free speech.

Robertus Robet was briefly detained early on Thursday after video emerged online of him singing a protest song criticising a plan to put senior military officials in civilian government positions, comparing it to the days of Indonesia’s late dictator Suharto.

The university lecturer, who is also a well-known rights campaigner, was released and subsequently charged under a law that makes it illegal to insult public institutions. The maximum penalty is 18 months’ jail.