Military Denies Demolishing NTT School for Cooperative, Cites Construction Access Issue

The head of the Indonesian military's Information Center, Brig. Gen. Muhammad Nas, has refuted claims that soldiers demolished a primary school in Ende, East Nusa Tenggara, to make way for a village cooperative. The allegations, which circulated online, suggested soldiers prioritized the construction of the 'Kopdes Merah Putih' cooperative over the school building.

Nas clarified that the incident involved damage to a school pillar due to difficulties maneuvering heavy equipment. He explained that the cooperative is being built behind the school, and the narrow access road required the equipment to pass by the school. During the maneuver, a corner pillar of the school was hit.

"The caption is dangerous, saying the Babinsa prioritized the cooperative over the school. I immediately called the Kodam intelligence chief there and asked, what is the real story?" Nas stated during a media meeting on Tuesday. He emphasized that the cooperative is not replacing the school, but rather the damage was accidental collateral from construction access.