TRC PPA Urges Physical Closure of Kukar Islamic Boarding School, Religious Affairs Ministry Confirms Permanent Licence Revocation

The East Kalimantan Rapid Response Team for the Protection of Women and Children (TRC PPA) is urging the Ministry of Religious Affairs to immediately and physically shut down the operations of the Ibadurrahman Islamic Boarding School in Bangun Rejo Village, Tenggarong Seberang District, Kutai Kartanegara Regency. Rina Zainun, Chair and Coordinator of TRC PPA East Kalimantan, stressed that although the Ministry of Religious Affairs has issued a decree revoking the permit, a physical closure on the ground has not yet been carried out. Her team is demanding firm action because the educational process at the boarding school is suspected to be continuing. “We want a real closure. We recently held a demonstration at the Ministry of Religious Affairs offices in Kukar and East Kalimantan, demanding they immediately take firm action and completely shut down the boarding school’s operations. Because if the educational process is still running, it is the same thing,” Rina told Media Indonesia on Friday (26/6). This demand is based on the seriousness of the repeated sexual violence cases at the educational institution. According to Rina, this is the third time such a case has occurred at the Ibadurrahman Islamic Boarding School. “According to the victims’ statements when they reported to the police, other victims also experienced sexual violence at that place,” Rina revealed. “The perpetrators are the son and the father, who is the head of the boarding school. The son committed sexual violence against male students and the father against female students.” TRC PPA East Kalimantan also highlighted that similar cases are not only occurring in Kukar. The team is currently handling sexual violence cases at other boarding schools in Bontang, East Kutai, and most recently in Samarinda. “We continue to oversee this case, urging that the closure be carried out completely. Furthermore, we suspect there are still many male and female students at the boarding school who are afraid to speak out, so they must be evacuated immediately to safer schools,” she asserted. Previously, on Tuesday (9/6), Rina Zainun had informed that the number of female student victims who had reported had increased from 11 to 12 people. Separately, the Head of Islamic Education and Religious Education for the East Kalimantan Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, M Isnaini, confirmed that the Ministry of Religious Affairs has taken firm steps by issuing the Director General of Islamic Education Decree Number 1307 of 2026 concerning the Revocation of the Operational Permit for the Modern Ibadurrahman Islamic Boarding School. “Therefore, on that basis, we are committed to stating that there will be no more learning process forever at that boarding school,” Isnaini stressed. He also added that his party will guarantee the rights of the students to continue their learning process elsewhere. “And we also guarantee the right to the continuity of the learning process for the students,” he concluded.