Analyst Warns of 'Militarism' as Kopdes Merah Putih Managers Undergo Military-Style Training

Political analyst Ray Rangkuti has raised concerns over what he describes as a shift from militarisation to ‘militarism’ in Indonesia, pointing to the military-style basic training (latsarmil) for prospective managers of the Kopdes Merah Putih village cooperatives as a prime example. Speaking at a public discussion in Central Jakarta, Rangkuti, who is the Executive Director of Lingkar Madani Indonesia, argued that militarism is an ideology that considers the military way as superior, whereas militarisation is merely the placement of military personnel in civilian roles. ‘The condition in Indonesia today is no longer militarisation, but militarism,’ he stated, explaining that the training of cooperative managers to adopt military character and discipline reflects an ideology where everything is measured by military values.

Rangkuti elaborated that the concept of a ‘creeping coup’ in the modern era involves entering and controlling state instruments without weapons, a process he sees as potentially underway. He stressed that if civilian roles, such as managing village cooperatives, are approached with a military mindset to face ‘threats’, it is a clear indicator of militarism. ‘That a cooperative manager candidate must have military character and ethics, that is what we call militarism, not just militarisation,’ he said.

Constitutional law expert Ibnu Sina Chandranegara also contributed to the discussion, noting that there are structural gaps left open by civilian authorities that allow such practices to occur. The session highlighted ongoing debates about the expanding role of military perspectives in civilian governance and economic programmes in Indonesia.