Komnas HAM Demands Autopsy of Five Deceased Cooperative Manager Candidates
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has requested that the police immediately conduct autopsies on five prospective managers of the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperatives and Merah Putih Fishermen’s Villages who died whilst attending military-style basic training (latsarmil).
Coordinator of the Komnas HAM Law Enforcement Sub-Commission, Pramono Ubaid Tantowi, stated that this step is crucial to uncovering the exact cause of death as part of the criminal investigation process. “The police should immediately submit a request for a forensic autopsy on the bodies of the five victims to obtain scientific evidence regarding the cause of death as part of the criminal investigation process,” he said in a written statement on Friday, 27 June 2026.
Komnas HAM considers the series of deaths to be a matter of serious concern for the government as the programme organiser. According to Pramono, the participants were civilians, most of whom did not have the habit or experience of undergoing military-style physical training, making them potentially susceptible to life-threatening health problems.
From a human rights perspective, he said, the state still bears the responsibility to protect the right to life of every participant. This responsibility does not disappear simply because participants have been declared to have passed a health check or joined the programme voluntarily. “The state has a positive obligation to actively protect lives in every programme under its authority,” Pramono stated.
He then explained that the state’s obligations include implementing adequate safety standards, continuous health monitoring, a rapid response when risks arise, and a swift, independent, and thorough investigation. “The results must also be conveyed to the public,” he said.
In addition to requesting a forensic autopsy, Komnas HAM also urged the government to ensure the processing of responsible parties if elements of negligence are found that caused the death of the five participants during the latsarmil. Komnas HAM also requested that the law enforcement process be carried out transparently and accountably so that the victims’ families obtain their rights to truth, justice, and reparation. The government was also asked to provide the widest possible access to an independent investigation team, including Komnas HAM, to conduct an inquiry.
On the other hand, Komnas HAM asked the government to stop the provision of military-style basic training for prospective managers of the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperatives. According to the institution, the task of managing cooperatives requires strengthening managerial competence, leadership, cooperative governance, and financial literacy more than basic military training. “Basic military training does not directly support the achievement of these competencies. Moreover, in this case, it has resulted in fatalities during the latsarmil,” said Pramono.
Komnas HAM affirmed that it will continue to monitor the development of the case and summon a number of related parties to ensure the protection of human rights and that law enforcement proceeds to provide a sense of justice for the victims and their families.
Previously, five participants of the Sarjana Penggerak Pembangunan Indonesia (SPPI) programme, who were prospective managers of the Kopdes Merah Putih and Kampung Nelayan Merah Putih, died whilst attending latsarmil. The five victims included Nola Dya Sari, Novia Rahmadhani Sihotang, Anisa Muyassaroh, Yonanda Muhammad Taufiq, and Muhammad Rifki Renaldi Gunawan. The five died after experiencing a decline in health following latsarmil activities at different TNI educational units.