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

The Chief of the Indonesian Army (KSAD), General Maruli Simanjuntak, has addressed allegations regarding the eviction of a primary school in Ende, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) by the TNI for the construction of the Merah Putih Village Cooperative (Kopdes Merah Putih).

General Maruli asserted that the issue is untrue. He ensured that no extreme actions or treatments were carried out by TNI members, and therefore requested that the issue be clarified.

“No, there are many reports that we need to clarify. It is unlikely to be that extreme. How could a school be abolished like that? Therefore, matters such as these must be clarified in detail, one by one,” Maruli told reporters at the Senayan Parliament Complex, Jakarta, on Wednesday, 10 June 2026.

The four-star general emphasised that any school already registered with the Department of Education and Culture cannot be evicted. He admitted that he would instruct his subordinates to check the veracity of the information.

“But in my opinion, no, it is not normal to dissolve a school when the school is certainly registered with the Department of Education and Culture. We will try to check,” he said.

Maruli noted that news often spreads widely only on social media. He denied the existence of school evictions for the Merah Disciplinary Village Cooperative.

“There is none; it is just busy on social media sometimes, like this and that. But realistically, it is impossible for a school that is already registered with the Department of Education and Culture to be abolished. This could lead to legal lawsuits,” he remarked.

Previously, it was reported that the Udayana Regional Military Command (Kodam Udayana) denied allegations of intimidation against residents, forced evictions, and the destruction of school facilities involving Indonesian Army members regarding the controversy surrounding the construction of the Merah Putih Village Cooperative (KDMP) in Neowula Village, Detusoko District, Ende Regency, East Nusa Tenggara.

The Head of the Udayana Regional Military Command Information (Kapendam) IX/Udayana, Colonel Inf Amrizal Nasution, explained that information suggesting violence or intimidation by TNI personnel does not align with the facts on the ground.

“There were no acts of intimidation, physical violence, or attempts at forced eviction by TNI personnel against the community or educational facilities at the location of the incident,” he stated in Denpasar, Wednesday, 10 June 2026.