War Without Soldiers: How Legal Loopholes Shield Private Military Companies From Responsibility in Modern Conflict

Gracella Chafrina, Rangga A. Dachlan, S.H., LL.M., M.Phil., D.Phil.

2025 | Skripsi | ILMU HUKUM

Di era di mana perusahaan militer swasta semakin mempengaruhi dinamika perang modern, masih terdapat kekosongan hukum terkait tanggung jawab mereka atas tindakan di zona konflik. Melalui penelitian hukum normatif, penelitian ini bertujuan mengisi kekosongan tersebut dengan menganalisis mekanisme tanggung jawab perusahaan militer swasta berdasarkan hukum internasional, menggunakan pendekatan tiga pilar: tanggung jawab negara, korporasi, dan individu. Hasil penelitian menyimpulkan bahwa tanggung jawab negara bergantung pada tingkat kendali yang dimiliki negara atas tindakan perusahaan militer swasta, dengan hukum kebiasaan internasional, sebagaimana tercermin dalam Draft Articles on the Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts, memberikan dasar yang kokoh untuk pertanggungjawaban ketika negara mengontrak perusahaan militer swasta dalam konflik bersenjata. Tanggung jawab korporasi tetap menjadi masalah karena kurangnya instrumen internasional yang ada untuk mempertanggungjawabkan tindakan perusahaan militer swasta. Untuk mengatasi hal ini, penelitian hukum ini mengusulkan penggunaan United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights sebagai tolok ukur global untuk tanggung jawab korporasi. Terakhir, meskipun status hukum perusahaan militer swasta masih ambigu, penting untuk fokus pada tanggung jawab pidana individu personel perusahaan militer swasta, terutama mengingat tuduhan pelanggaran serius, termasuk kejahatan perang dan kejahatan terhadap kemanusiaan. Penelitian ini juga mengeksplorasi bentuk-bentuk partisipasi lainnya. Dengan mengatasi celah-celah ini, studi ini bertujuan untuk memberikan solusi praktis untuk secara efektif mempertanggungjawabkan perusahaan militer swasta di bawah hukum internasional.

 

In an era where private military companies increasingly influence the dynamics of modern warfare, a legal void remains regarding their responsibility for actions in conflict zones. Using normative legal research, this Legal Research seeks to address this gap by analysing the responsibility mechanism for private military companies conduct under international law, using a three-pronged approach: state responsibility, corporate responsibility and individual responsibility. The result of the research concluded that state responsibility hinges on the degree of control a state exercises over a private military companies’ action, with international customary law, as reflected in the draft Articles on State Responsibility, providing a solid basis for responsibility when a state contracts a private military company in armed conflict. Corporate responsibility remains problematic due to the lack of existing international instruments holding private military companies accountable for their actions. To address this, this Legal Research proposes utilising the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights framework as a global benchmark for corporate responsibility. Lastly, focusing on the individual criminal responsibility of private military companies’ personnel, particularly in light of the significant allegations of misconduct, including war crimes and crimes against humanity. This research also explores the application of other forms of participation namely, command and superior responsibility and aiding and abetting. By addressing these gaps, this study seeks to provide practical solutions for effectively holding private military companies’ responsible under international law.

Kata Kunci : private military companies, state responsibility, corporate responsibility, individual criminal responsibility, UNGPs, ARSIWA.