Theatrical Protest at Unair Criticises Military Training for Kopdes That Killed Participants

Around a hundred students and members of the academic community of Universitas Airlangga (Unair) Surabaya, calling themselves Ksatria Airlangga, staged a symbolic protest to mourn the deaths of five prospective managers of the Koperasi Desa dan Kelurahan Merah Putih (KDMP) who died during a Basic Military Training (Latsarmil) exercise. The five victims were Yonanda Muhammad Taufiq, Anisa Muyassaroh, Novia Rahmadhani Sihotang, Muhammad Rifki Renaldi Gunawan, and Nola Dya Sari. Anisa Muyassaroh was an alumna of Unair. According to CNNIndonesia.com’s observation at the Unair B Amphitheatre on Saturday evening (4/7), the action involved lighting candles, scattering flowers before a diorama of the five victims’ photographs, poetry readings, a theatrical performance, speeches, and a statement of position at a free speech platform. “To our departed siblings, forgive us, for we cannot restore your heartbeat,” said one performer during a poetry reading. During the event, students and Unair academics also scattered flowers over the diorama of the five victims’ photos. One participant also offered prayers in Krama Javanese as a final tribute to the five deceased. “Swargi langgeng, swargi langgeng,” the student intoned. Vice President of the Unair Student Executive Body, Shintya Iftitah, explained that the protest arose from the students’ distress over the tragedy that befell the five prospective KDMP managers. “Today’s action stems from the concerns of our Unair colleagues. We, the extended family of Universitas Airlangga, are of course mourning one of our sisters, an Unair alumna, Mbak Anisa Muyassaroh, and perhaps the four other colleagues who were victims of the basic military training for prospective KDMP managers,” Shintya said. She outlined at least four main demands voiced during the symbolic protest. Firstly, they demanded government transparency regarding the chronology and cause of the five victims’ deaths during the single training series. “We demand transparency on the chronology of why this basic military training ultimately claimed five victims at once,” Shintya stated. She also questioned the involvement of the Ministry of Defence in a programme that should fall under the authority of the Ministry of Cooperatives. “We know that the Koperasi Desa Merah Putih is under the Ministry of Cooperatives, so why did the Ministry of Defence and the TNI become involved? What intrigue is at play there?” she asked. The second demand, Shintya said, was an independent investigation outside the institution that organised the Latsarmil. The third was government accountability for the incident that claimed five lives. “We also demand an independent investigation outside the institution that conducted the basic military training, so we can understand what problems occurred, with the hope of clear transparency,” she added. Furthermore, Ksatria Airlangga also called on the government to evaluate the implementation of both the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) and KDMP programmes. “This is our main demand: a total evaluation of the MBG and KDMP implementation, where we clearly see many problems arising, including these five victims and the recent dismissal of the BGN head, among others,” Shintya revealed. Shintya acknowledged that the latest information indicated the Latsarmil for prospective KDMP managers had been halted following the incident and replaced with State Defence Education and managerial material. Nevertheless, she regretted the intrusion of military elements into what should be a civilian domain. Previously, the Ministry of Defence stated it had reduced the training duration after five participants died in the Sarjana Penggerak Pembangunan Indonesia (SPPI) programme for Koperasi Desa/Kelurahan Merah Putih (KDKMP) and Kampung Nelayan Merah Putih (KNMP). Deputy Minister of Defence Donny Ermawan said an evaluation was conducted following the incident, including revising the programme to state defence training. “Initially they were also going to become a reserve component; we have now determined that they will only receive State Defence education and training,” Donny said at the Parliament Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday (1/7). With this revision, Donny said participants would no longer receive lessons related to weapons or military tactics. “So they are only given lessons related to nationalism, patriotism, and discipline; following a daily schedule also trains their time discipline,” he said.