PDIP Legislator Highlights TNI Video Allegedly Displacing School for Kopdes Project

Deputy Chairman of House of Representatives Commission XIII Andreas Hugo Pareira has highlighted a video recording suggesting that Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) soldiers were displacing a school building to be converted into a Red and White Village Cooperative (Kopdes Merah Putih) project in East Nusa Tenggara. According to him, the Kopdes Merah Putih programme is indeed one of the flagship projects of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, but its implementation must not harm other programmes, particularly education. “Is Kopdes more important than education, necessitating the demolition of a building?” Andreas said via WhatsApp message on Tuesday, 9 June 2026. He reminded that the right to education is enshrined in the 1945 Constitution, leaving no justification whatsoever for undermining educational programmes, including converting buildings for other government initiatives. “I urge the Kopdes implementers and the TNI to provide an explanation regarding this matter,” stated the PDI-P Central Executive Board chair for membership and organisation. The approximately 30-second video recording highlighted by Andreas shows a combination of two different video clips. In the first few seconds, a TNI soldier appears to be inspecting a damaged school ceiling, while an unmanned excavator sits in front. The video then continues showing a stocky man standing by the excavator, engaging in a heated exchange with several people. The video surfaced accompanied by a narrative that parents and customary leaders within the school community were protesting the planned displacement of the school by the TNI. The incident took place at Wolomoni State Primary School in Niawula Village, Ende Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, on Saturday, 6 June 2026. Head of the TNI Information Centre Brigadier General Muhammad Nas denied the video claiming TNI soldiers were displacing a school building in East Nusa Tenggara to make way for a Kopdes building. According to him, the information in the video does not depict the event in full and has the potential to manipulate public opinion. “The danger lies in its caption, which suggests the Babinsa prioritises KDMP over the school,” Nas said during a press conference at TNI Headquarters in East Jakarta on Tuesday, 9 June 2026. He stated that what actually occurred was not a demolition. Nas said the cooperative’s construction was taking place behind the school area and was not replacing the school’s function. However, access to the construction site was limited, forcing heavy equipment to pass through the school area. During the manoeuvre, one of the school’s corner pillars was struck. Consequently, the local Babinsa coordinated with the school and the regional government to shift the pillar. “So the school pillar was shifted momentarily for the vehicle to manoeuvre, after which it will be repaired,” he said.