Indonesian rights body urges halt to military training for cooperative managers after deaths

Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has strongly recommended that the government immediately cease military-style basic training for prospective managers of village and fishing cooperatives. The commission argues that this rigorous training is entirely inappropriate for individuals tasked with managing economic institutions.

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The government should halt the preparatory program in the form of basic military training for cooperative managers, considering that cooperatives are economic institutions oriented towards business management, service to members, and organizational governance.

Komnas HAM expressed condolences to the families of five participants who died during the training program, which involved 35,476 candidates for village cooperatives and 5,476 for fishing cooperatives. These participants were required to undergo 45 days of military drills from June 14 to July 31, 2026, across 67 TNI units nationwide.

"The government should halt the preparatory program in the form of basic military training for cooperative managers," stated Komnas HAM Commissioner Pramono Ubaid Tantowi. He emphasized that cooperatives are economic entities focused on business management, member services, and organizational governance, not military operations. Instead, Komnas HAM suggests that capacity building should concentrate on managerial competence, leadership, cooperative governance, and financial literacy.

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Basic military training does not directly support the achievement of these competencies. Moreover, it has resulted in fatalities during the execution of this basic military training.

Pramono highlighted that the military training included activities like waking up at 3:30 AM, physical exercises, marching drills, and planned shooting practice. He noted that such activities do not directly support the required competencies and, more critically, have led to fatalities. The commission stressed that the deaths of five individuals within 10 days during this program warrant serious attention, especially given the physical demands placed on civilian participants who may not be accustomed to strenuous exercise, increasing their risk of illness.

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This implies a risk of disease attacks, as were the causes that threatened lives in the basic military training.

Komnas HAM invoked Indonesia's constitutional guarantee of the right to life and health, as well as international human rights covenants. The commission urged the government to provide remedies and accountability for the victims and their families, asserting that states have an obligation to actively protect citizens' lives within their programs.

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The state is obliged to ensure the availability of effective remedies for victims and their families.