Indonesian Army Says Clash Between Danrem Pamungkas and Marshal During Marathon Was a Misunderstanding

A video showing Danrem 072/Pamungkas, Brigadier General TNI Yuniar Dwi Hantono, forcibly pulling his aide to rejoin a marathon track in Yogyakarta has gone viral on social media. The Indonesian Army has now addressed the incident. The 25-second video, widely circulated across various social media platforms, shows a man identified as the Danrem’s aide being pulled off the running track by a marshal. The marshal’s action was taken because the aide was not wearing a BIB number, the chest number proving race participation. Shortly afterwards, Yuniar, who was running, appeared and forcibly pulled his aide back onto the track. A tug-of-war then ensued between the marshal and the Danrem, with the Danrem pointing at the marshal who again pulled the aide off the track. Head of the Indonesian Army Information Service, Brigadier General TNI Donny Pramono, stated that the marshal stopping the aide was a misunderstanding. ‘We can explain that the incident was a misunderstanding on the ground between the track supervisor and the aide of Danrem 072/Pamungkas during the event,’ he said in a statement in Jakarta. Donny said the Danrem participated in the running event with his wife, one child, and his aide, and that all four were registered participants holding official tickets from the marathon organiser. Therefore, they all received BIBs or participant identity numbers that must be worn during the marathon. However, the aide’s BIB reportedly fell off mid-race on the crowded track. ‘During the event, it is suspected that the participant number came loose on a fairly congested track, causing a misunderstanding during the officer’s check,’ Donny explained. This led the committee to stop the aide, who was running while recording Yuniar during the race. That incident was captured on social media, showing Yuniar in a tense exchange with a marshal. ‘After the incident, the organiser, event organiser, and Danrem 072/Pamungkas communicated and clarified the matter directly. All parties understand that the incident was purely a technical issue on the ground and it has been resolved amicably,’ Donny stated. The Indonesian Army also expressed appreciation for the committee’s professional work in maintaining order at the event and asked the public to view the incident wisely. ‘We hope the public can see this event proportionally and not link it to other matters inconsistent with the actual facts,’ Donny said.