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View all search resultsMilitary training for student protesters draws criticism
The decision to place students in a military environment has raised concerns among civil society groups, who described it as part of the growing trend toward the “remilitarization” of civilian space.
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Rallygoers, led by members of the United Pati People's Alliance (AMPB), stage a protest in front of the Senayan legislative complex in Central Jakarta on Aug. 27, 2026. They demand the passage of the long-awaited asset forfeiture bill and harsher punishment for corrupt officials. (Antara/Hafidz Mubarak A. )
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ivil society groups have condemned the government’s decision to send students detained after last month’s Jakarta protest to a so-called state defense program at a military facility in Bogor, West Java, calling the move an act of intimidation and a violation of human rights.
At least 27 students from Jakarta have been sent to the 10-day training program, along with participants from other areas in Greater Jakarta, including Bekasi, Bogor, Depok, South Tangerang and Tangerang, Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung said.
According to its official website, the 2026 National Defense Training Program for the Indonesian Republic Cadet Corps (KKRI) is a youth character-building program focused on nationalism, discipline, leadership and civic responsibility for high school students.
The program was established through a 2026 decision by the Primary and Secondary Education Ministry, with the Defense Ministry involved in providing national defense education, leadership and discipline training and other character-building activities.
“This is a state defense program. In my view, this is a good program because it could encourage students, in particular, to appreciate and care more about their own country,” Pramono said on Thursday, as reported by Kompas.com.
Read also: Students rally against ‘decaying freedom' as Indonesia turns 81
The students had reportedly been taken into custody by the Jakarta Police’s Directorate for the Protection of Women and Children and the Eradication of Trafficking in Persons (PPA-PPO) in connection with the unrest that followed the Aug. 27 protest outside the House of Representatives complex in Central Jakarta.
