This study examines the alignment of regulations governing the duties and functions
of Indonesia’s Reserve Component (Komponen Cadangan) with International
Humanitarian Law (IHL) and evaluates its eligibility for lawful combatant status
under the IHL instruments. Utilizing a normative legal research method and a
qualitative approach, the findings indicate that, while the Reserve Component
meets the criteria for lawful combatants as outlined in Article 4A of the Third
Geneva Convention of 1949 and Article 1 of the Hague Regulations of 1907.
Furthermore, the current regulations fail to satisfy the conditions for lawful
combatant as stipulated in Article 43 (3) of the Additional Protocol I of 1977.
Consequently, the Government needs to formally integrate the Reserve
Component’s status into national law to ensure it fulfills all the requirements
outlined there. This overarching shortcoming is that the national regulatory
framework has not sufficiently incorporated IHL principles, which may obscure the
legal status and protections of the Reserve Component members as Prisoners of
War. Therefore, the study recommends regulatory refinement, the integration of
IHL principles into training curricula, and the establishment of formal notification
procedures to adverse parties in international armed conflicts. The conclusion
emphasizes the necessity of legal certainty and the harmonization of national
policies with IHL standards to ensure both the protection and operational
effectiveness of the Reserve Component