Ministry of Cooperatives Denies Link Between Merah Putih Village Cooperative Hype and Clashes in NTT
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The Ministry of Cooperatives has addressed the clashes between residents in Flores Timur Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. The government claims that the incident is unrelated to the current Merah Putih Village Cooperative development programme.
Secretary of the Ministry of Cooperatives, Ahmad Zabadi, explained that the conflict involving residents of Waiburak Village and Narasaosina Village stems from an old issue rooted in customary land disputes. He assessed that narratives linking the clashes to village cooperative development are inaccurate.
“On this occasion, we wish to clarify that the conflict between the two villages is not related to the development of the Merah Putih Village Cooperative. This is a longstanding conflict between Waiburak Village and Narasaosina Village triggered by inherited customary land disputes,” said Ahmad Zabadi at the Ministry of Cooperatives on Wednesday (25/3/2026).
According to him, no physical development activities for the Merah Putih Village Cooperative have taken place in the area to date. The government also assures that every cooperative project will only be built on land that is legally unproblematic.
“Currently, there is no Merah Putih Village Cooperative development in that village. The government will only use land with clean and clear status, not in a disputed condition,” he stressed.
The provisions regarding land status are regulated in Ministerial Circular No. 4 of 2025. This regulation serves as a reference for inventorying land and building assets to accelerate the construction of village cooperative facilities, including outlets and warehousing.
On the other hand, the central government has coordinated with the East Nusa Tenggara Provincial Government to ensure the on-ground situation. Conflict handling is being carried out jointly with Forkopimda elements, using a mediation approach between the two groups of residents.
Zabadi stated that the situation at the clash site is beginning to calm, although the resolution process is still ongoing through dialogue involving community leaders and local government. He also reminded the public not to be easily influenced by unverified information.
He assured that the conflict resolution process is still proceeding through mediation channels and law enforcement by authorised apparatus.
“So there is no physical development process for Merah Putih Village Cooperative outlets and warehousing at that location,” said Zabadi.