Jakarta. Indonesian authorities said they have not found evidence of negligence in the deaths of three participants in a military-style training program for prospective managers of the government's Red and White village cooperative (KDMP) initiative, while promising a comprehensive review of the program.

Presidential Chief of Staff Dudung Abdurachman said on Friday that the government was still evaluating the basic military training component attended by candidates for the Red and White Village Cooperative and fishing village cooperative programs.

"Based on information from the State Secretariat, no negligence has been found so far," Dudung told reporters at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta.

The three participants were enrolled in the Indonesian Development Pioneer Scholars (SPPI) program, which includes military-style training aimed at building discipline, teamwork, and leadership among prospective cooperative managers.

Dudung said the deaths could not be automatically attributed to the training itself, noting that the physical exercises for SPPI participants were not considered particularly strenuous. He added that all participants had undergone medical examinations before joining the program.

"Not every death can immediately be linked to military training," he said. "There may be physical, mental, or other factors involved."

The latest fatality involved Novia Rahmadhani Sitohang, a participant undergoing training at an Air Force education center. She died on June 23 after being hospitalized for health complications.

Earlier, Anisa Muyassaroh, who was attending training in Balikpapan, and Yonanda Muhammad Taufiq, a participant in South Sumatra, also died after experiencing health problems during the program.

The Defense Ministry said all three participants had received medical treatment from unit health teams before being referred to hospitals and that each case involved different medical conditions.

The deaths have drawn attention to one of the government's most ambitious rural development initiatives. Authorities aim to establish 80,081 Red and White village cooperatives nationwide by 2029. Around 11,000 cooperatives have already been established, while approximately 1,000 are currently operating.

The cooperatives are intended to shorten food supply chains, lower consumer prices, improve access to financing, and stimulate economic activity in rural areas. The government estimates the initiative could eventually create more than 1.4 million jobs across Indonesia's villages.

Under the current training system, prospective managers undergo 45 days of instruction, including 30 days of basic military training conducted under the Defense Ministry's reserve component program, followed by 15 days of managerial and technical education.

About 30,000 prospective village cooperative managers and another 5,476 candidates for fishing village cooperatives are currently participating in training programs at 67 military facilities across the country.

The fatalities have intensified scrutiny of the government's decision to incorporate military-style training into a program designed to prepare cooperative managers.

Public policy expert Achmad Nur Hidayat of UPN Veteran Jakarta questioned whether the issue lies not only with participants' health conditions but also with the design of the training program itself.

He argued that village cooperatives require skills such as accounting, supply-chain management, governance and financial oversight rather than military discipline.

"The problem facing cooperatives is not a lack of marching drills," Achmad said. "The challenges are weak institutions, poor governance and limited managerial capacity."

He called for a temporary suspension of high-risk physical exercises until an independent review is completed and urged the government to refocus the curriculum on business management, anti-corruption, logistics and cooperative governance.

Despite the fatalities, the government said the broader cooperative initiative would continue.

Deputy State Secretary Juri Ardiantoro said the deaths should be separated from the village cooperative program itself, which remains one of President Prabowo Subianto's flagship initiatives.

"The Red and White Cooperative program will continue," Juri said earlier this week, adding that the government would evaluate the military training component and introduce measures to prevent similar incidents.

Dudung also defended the inclusion of military-style training, saying it helps foster discipline, loyalty, and teamwork among participants, while stressing that safety must remain the top priority in future training programs.

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