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View all search resultsCalls grow for end of military training in rural cooperative programs
The deaths of prospective managers of President Prabowo Subianto’s rural cooperatives and fishing village programs in military training has prompted rights groups and the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to call for an end to the training, amid concern over growing militarization in civilian spaces.
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Participants in basic military training for prospective managers of the Red and White rural cooperatives chant slogans at the 1st Marine Infantry Brigade in Cilandak, Jakarta on June 25, 2026. (Antara/Indrianto Eko Suwarso)
T
he deaths of prospective managers of President Prabowo Subianto’s rural cooperatives and fishing village programs in military training has prompted rights groups and the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to call for an end to the training, amid concerns over growing militarization in civilian spaces.
Five participants of the mandatory military training have died over the past two weeks after suffering various medical emergencies during the course, from cardiac arrest, heat stroke, tuberculosis and pneumonia, according to the Defense Ministry, which is leading the training.
The latest three fatalities include Novia Rahmadhani Sihotang, Muhammad Rifki Renaldi Gunawan and Nola Dya Sari, who died in separate incidents between June 22 and June 26.
The deaths followed those of Anisa Muyassaroh and Yonanda Muhammad Taufiq on June 18 and June 17, respectively, just days after the Defense Ministry launched the 45-day nationwide training on June 14 for over 35,000 prospective managers in the President’s flagship Red-and-White cooperatives and fishing villages programs.
In a statement on Saturday, the Defense Ministry expressed its condolences and said all five participants had undergone mandatory medical checks before joining the training and received treatment after experiencing health problems during training.
The fatalities have led the Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform, comprising dozens of human rights groups, to call for an “immediate end” to the military training and to any planned military drills for civilians beyond the cooperatives project.
“The training is flawed from the outset because it is built on the [assumption] that military discipline equals professionalism in civilian organizations,” the coalition said in a statement on Saturday. “The deaths of these five participants further confirm that the assumption is not only mistaken, but also dangerous.”
