TNI Denies Evicting Ende School for Village Cooperative Construction
The Kodam IX/Udayana military command has denied allegations that its soldiers forcibly evicted SDN Wolomoni elementary school in Niowula Village, Detusoko District, Ende Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), to make way for the construction of a Kopdes Merah Putih (KDMP) village cooperative. Commander of Korem 161/Wira Sakti Kupang, Brigadier General Hendro Cahyono, clarified that no eviction took place. ‘It is not an eviction, that has been confirmed by the village chief in Ende. Apologies, I am currently in a helicopter from Labuan Bajo,’ Hendro said briefly when contacted via WhatsApp call on Tuesday (9/6/2026).
Head of Public Information for Kodam Udayana, Colonel Inf Amrizal Nasution, further emphasised there was no intimidation or forced eviction against the school or residents. ‘There was no intimidation, physical violence, or attempted forced eviction by TNI personnel against the community or educational facilities at the location,’ Amrizal stressed when contacted by detikBali on the same day. Amrizal explained the incident began when an excavator was being mobilised to the Kopdes Merah Putih construction site on community-donated land located behind the SDN Neowula area.
Due to the narrow village access road and the position of the school’s canopy support pillars along the machinery’s route, a technical adjustment became necessary. ‘Based on field observation results and verification with various related parties, the incident originated from a technical obstacle during the mobilisation of heavy equipment to the KDKMP construction site situated on community-donated land behind the SDN Neowula area,’ he stated. ‘It was previously coordinated with the Village Head and the school committee, aiming for the heavy equipment to pass without causing damage to the main school building.’ He added that the technical adjustment involved cutting a portion of a support pillar located in the heavy equipment access area.
Similar accounts were provided by Neowula Village Head, Vinsensius Papa. The local Babinsa, Sergeant Hermin, was present at the location to provide security and act as a mediator to de-escalate tensions. All work activities have been temporarily halted to maintain a conducive situation, and the military command confirmed that the previously damaged school pillar has been repaired. ‘The excavated area has also been tidied up and the heavy equipment has been removed from the location to avoid potential further misunderstandings,’ he added. The video showing TNI members at SDN Wolomoni during the heavy equipment operation went viral on social media, triggering narratives that the school was being demolished for the Kopdes Merah Putih development.
Head of the Cooperatives and SMEs Office for NTT, Linus Lusi, stressed that the construction of Kopdes Merah Putih must not sacrifice educational facilities. ‘The task of the regional government, in this case the regent, is to facilitate. If it is an educational facility that cannot be disturbed, then the regent is tasked with finding other locations for the establishment of the Kopdes Merah Putih gallery, after all, it is ultimately for the benefit of the community,’ Linus stated during an interview at the NTT Governor’s Office on Monday (8/6/2026).