Amnesty International Urges Cancellation of Military Cadet Plan to Teach at 'Sekolah Rakyat'

Amnesty International Indonesia is urging the government to cancel a plan to involve cadets from the Military Academy (Akmil) in a character education programme for students at Sekolah Rakyat. The policy is viewed as a form of militarisation of civilian spaces that could potentially undermine the fundamental principles of child education and human rights. The collaborative programme between the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) and the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) is scheduled to begin in early August 2026. A total of one thousand Level 1 and Level 2 cadets are to be dispatched to 178 Sekolah Rakyat locations to conduct discipline training. Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Usman Hamid, stressed that classrooms in civilian schools must remain neutral spaces free from command approaches or militaristic indoctrination. “The government is turning a blind eye to criticism of policies involving soldiers in government programmes outside defence affairs. Clearly, the government has not learned from the tragedy of three civilians who died while attending basic military training to become administrators for the ‘red and white village cooperatives’ and fishing villages some time ago,” Usman said in a statement in Jakarta on Thursday (25/6). Usman stated that military discipline is fundamentally shaped through a command system, a rigid hierarchical chain, and is based on obedience. These characteristics are considered diametrically opposed to the essence of civilian education, which aims to foster independent thinking. He said a military approach in civilian education would hinder the development of free reasoning potential for students. Furthermore, the military approach would replace a safe space for expressing opinions with an ecosystem of hierarchical compliance. Moreover, this plan creates a power imbalance, given that Sekolah Rakyat is inhabited by children from underprivileged families who fall into the vulnerable group category. “How can children learn to think critically if their learning ecosystem uses a military education approach that prioritises obedience, strength, and even violence? Children truly need an approach that is compassionate, humanising, and motivating,” Usman said. Usman further reminded the government of international legal rules in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Indonesia has ratified. According to these rules, the direction of children’s education must be aimed at developing respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The government is asked to focus its budget and policies on strengthening students’ identities as dignified civil society members, rather than imposing a soldier-like compliance system. Usman also drew a historical line regarding the dangers of defence force dominance in domestic affairs, reflecting on Indonesia’s past experiences. “The New Order provided an important lesson that the militarism of civilian spaces leads to the strengthening of authoritarian practices and human rights violations. When the militarism of civilian spaces strengthens, the victims are citizens. Do not let the students of Sekolah Rakyat become the next victims,” he concluded.