Diplomacy over drama: Indonesia rules out military action to free designer

Arnold Putra is serving a seven-year prison sentence for entering Myanmar illegally and engaging with an ethnic armed group

Indonesia has ruled out any military operation to secure the release of controversial social media personality and fashion designer Arnold Putra, who is serving a seven-year prison sentence in Myanmar, and is instead turning to defence diplomacy and quiet negotiations to resolve a case that has become a political headache in Jakarta.

Arnold, 33, known for his provocative online persona and content, was convicted in March by Myanmar’s military junta of entering the country illegally and engaging with an ethnic armed group. He was sentenced to seven years in Yangon’s Insein Prison, with the verdict now final and binding.

Some lawmakers have urged the government to take strong action to free Arnold. On July 3, Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad told reporters that while diplomacy should remain the main path, “if diplomacy fails, we will urge the government to consider the option of a non-combat military operation”.

But top officials, including Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, have made it clear that military intervention is not on the table. “That’s not the approach we’re taking,” he told reporters on Wednesday, emphasising the need to engage Myanmar’s military-led government through established diplomatic and defence channels.

State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi also told reporters on Monday that Arnold’s incarceration in Myanmar was “not a military matter” in response to a question about the possibility of an operation.

Arnold was arrested last December after reportedly travelling to areas controlled by the Karen National Union (KNU), a group that has long resisted the Myanmar military and is officially deemed a terrorist organisation by the junta. He was later charged under Myanmar’s anti-terrorism laws, immigration statutes and the colonial-era Unlawful Associations Act.

Indonesian officials said Arnold was in Myanmar as a content creator, not a combatant or financier.

Lawmaker Abraham Sridjaja, speaking in parliament on June 30, said Arnold “is one of our citizens being detained in Myanmar, accused of funding rebel groups. He’s just a young man, the same age as me, only 33. And as far as I know, he never had such intentions”.

The foreign ministry has been coordinating closely with the Indonesian embassy in Yangon, which has submitted formal diplomatic notes and is assisting with legal counsel, consular visits and communications with Arnold’s family. Officials have also confirmed that a request for amnesty or pardon has been filed with Myanmar’s authorities.

Judha Nugraha, director for citizen protection at Indonesia’s foreign ministry, said the government remained committed to safeguarding Arnold’s rights and welfare, and was pursuing all available legal and diplomatic avenues. He said consular access and direct communication with Arnold were being maintained while he served his sentence.

Public reaction to Arnold’s imprisonment has been sharply divided. Some Indonesians see him as a reckless thrill-seeker who knowingly entered a conflict zone, while others view his seven-year sentence as excessive and politically motivated.

According to Indonesian media, Arnold first entered Myanmar last November via Thailand, reportedly at the invitation of a local celebrity. He was taken to a rebel-held area and photographed with KNU members, whom he believed were regular troops.

After posting the images online, he returned to Myanmar in December for what he said was a holiday, but was later arrested in Yangon and charged with illegal entry and contact with a terrorist organisation.

Arnold is best known for courting controversy through his fashion and social media stunts.

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He first gained notoriety in 2020 after claiming to have created a luxury handbag using a human spine and alligator tongues – materials he insisted were ethically sourced. Subsequent allegations tied him to organ shipments intercepted in Brazil and allegedly bound for Singapore, although he has denied any wrongdoing.

He has also been criticised for trading fake luxury goods with indigenous communities in exchange for cultural artefacts, and for wearing a uniform resembling that of Indonesia’s Pancasila Youth at Paris Fashion Week in 2022 – an image that drew condemnation given the group’s links to past political violence.