Defence Ministry Revises Training Concept After Five Deaths in Cooperative Programme

The Ministry of Defence is evaluating the training within the Sarjana Penggerak Pembangunan Indonesia (SPPI) programme for the Koperasi Desa/Kelurahan Merah Putih (KDKMP) and Kampung Nelayan Merah Putih (KNMP) after five participants died during the exercise. Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, Head of the Information Bureau at the Ministry of Defence Secretariat General, expressed condolences over the deaths of the five SPPI participants. “We also respect input from the DPR, Komnas HAM, and other parties as part of the evaluation of the programme’s implementation,” he said on Monday (29/6).

Rico explained that the evaluation includes adjustments to the terminology and approach of the activities. He stated that the activity is no longer emphasised as basic military training, but rather as National Defence and Managerial Preparation Training. “This is to clarify that the programme’s goal is not to turn participants into soldiers or reserve components, but to build character, discipline, leadership, teamwork, responsibility, national insight, and managerial readiness as prospective managers of KDKMP/KNMP,” he said.

The Ministry of Defence is also adjusting the material by reducing technical and tactical military activities, including shooting exercises and other forms of training deemed irrelevant to the needs of future cooperative managers. “The intensity of physical activities has also been reduced and adapted to the participants’ backgrounds as civilians,” he added. Furthermore, Rico explained that the health aspect for participants is being strengthened through advanced health profiling, periodic check-ups, daily condition monitoring, reinforcement of health personnel at training units, and referral mechanisms to health facilities when necessary. Participants with medical conditions or risk factors are given special markings so they are not burdened with excessive physical activities. Rico stated that the safety and health of participants are the top priority. “The essence of the development is maintained, namely national defence, discipline, character, leadership, and managerial readiness, but the implementation method is made more adaptive, educational, and suited to the participants’ backgrounds as civilians,” he said.