Army Chief Denies TNI Evicted Primary School in NTT for Kopdes Merah Putih Construction: 'Impossible!'

Army Chief of Staff (KSAD) General TNI Maruli Simanjuntak has addressed allegations concerning the eviction of a primary school in Ende, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) by the TNI to facilitate the construction of a Kopdes Merah Putih (Red and White Village Cooperative). General Maruli stressed that the allegations are untrue. He confirmed that no extreme treatment or actions were carried out by TNI personnel and called for the issue to be clarified. ‘No, there is a lot of news that we need to clarify. It seems impossible for it to be that extreme. How could a school be eliminated like that? So, matters like this must be detailed and clarified one by one,’ Maruli told reporters at the Parliamentary Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday, 10 June 2026. The four-star general emphasised that any school already registered with the Education and Culture Office could not possibly be evicted. He said he would instruct his subordinates to verify the truth of the information. ‘But in my opinion, no, it is not normal for anyone to disband a school, especially since the school must already be registered with the Education and Culture Office. We will try to check it later,’ he said. Maruli noted that news often spreads wildly only on social media. He denied that any school eviction had occurred for the Kopdes Merah Putih project. ‘There is none, just busy on social media sometimes like this, like that. But realistically, it is impossible for a school already registered with the Education and Culture Office to then be eliminated. Wow, this could face legal action,’ he said. It was previously reported that Kodam Udayana denied accusations of intimidation against residents, forced evictions, and damage to school facilities involving TNI Army personnel in the controversy over the construction of the Kopdes Merah Putih in Neowula Village, Detusoko District, Ende Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. Head of Information for Kodam IX/Udayana, Colonel Inf Amrizal Nasution, explained that information alleging acts of violence or intimidation by TNI personnel did not correspond with the facts on the ground. ‘There were no acts of intimidation, physical violence, or forced eviction efforts by TNI personnel against the community or educational facilities at the scene,’ he stated in Denpasar on Wednesday, 10 June 2026.