TNI Denies Viral Claims That Kopdes Merah Putih in Lampung Was Built on a Hillside

The Radin Inten Military Regional Command (Kodam XXI) has spoken out regarding the location of the Village/Sub-district Red and White Cooperative (KDKMP) in Sidokaton Village, Tanggamus Regency, Lampung, which went viral due to allegations that the building was situated on a hillside. Head of Public Relations for Kodam XXI, Lieutenant Colonel Inf Ranoviandy Chairul, stated that the construction of the cooperative building was the result of a village consultation. “The construction of the Red and White Cooperative building was not a unilateral decision by the village head or cooperative administrators, but rather went through a Village Consultation (Musdes) mechanism. All stages of construction have also been documented with official reports as a legal basis,” Ranoviandy said in Bandarlampung on Tuesday (7/7), as quoted by Antara. He confirmed that based on field checks, the viral location of the cooperative is actually in the middle of a residential area in Sidokaton Village. “We have checked the field; the KDKMP location is in the middle of the Sidokaton Village residential area, Gisting District, Tanggamus Regency,” he said. According to Ranoviandy, the location was chosen based on a community agreement to utilise village assets to support residents’ economic activities. “The video circulating on social media only shows a certain angle, thus creating a different perception from the actual conditions,” he said. Ranoviandy mentioned that the viral video was deliberately framed from an extreme angle by the content creator to gain views and engagement on social media, without considering the impact on public opinion regarding the regional development programme. “Currently, the Kopdes Merah Putih building at that location is 100 percent complete and ready to operate according to its intended purpose,” he said. Meanwhile, Sidokaton Village Head Indrio Basuki stated that the narrative claiming the cooperative is located at the foot of Mount Tanggamus does not match the conditions on the ground. “We want to clarify that the video circulating on TikTok claiming the Kopdes Merah Putih development in Sidokaton Village is at the foot of Mount Tanggamus is not true. The cooperative development in Sidokaton Village is actually located in the middle of the community settlement,” he said. He explained that the construction of the cooperative was agreed upon through consultations involving the community, the Village Consultative Body (BHP), hamlet heads, religious leaders, and community figures. “We held consultations in every hamlet and with each hamlet head,” he said.