Indonesia’s government is scaling back ‘military-style’ training conducted under its flagship ‘Red and White’ village co-operative programme after five participants died during the first two weeks of the course.
According to local media, Indonesia’s defence ministry has been providing up to 35,000 prospective co-operative managers with basic military training. This is reportedly mandatory for candidates to complete in order to become managers under the ‘Red and White’ co-operative scheme; an ambitious initiative that aims to establish around 80,000 co-operatives across Indonesia.
Launched in July 2025 and backed by the Indonesian president, the $12bn Red and White programme is set to be fully operational by the end of this year and is meant to help the country reach its target of 8% economic growth in 2029. Co-ops created under the scheme will align with existing village-owned enterprises and cover sectors ranging from agriculture and mining to tourism and retail; all with the goal of stimulating rural economies and strengthening local communities. Unlike many typical co-operative initiatives, the Red and White programme is notable for its ‘top-down’ and government-led nature – a tension that has attracted criticism since its launch.
Related: Indonesia wants village co-ops fully operational by mid-2026
However, the training programme – which began on June 14 and is due to run until July 31 – is said to include ‘shooting activities’, ‘military tactics’, and a high degree of ‘physical intensity’, despite the co-ops seemingly having no military role or remit. On 27th June, Indonesia’s defence ministry confirmed that five people died during training between June 17 and June 26, from causes ranging from cardiac arrest and heat stroke to tuberculosis and pneumonia.
Major General Ketut Gede Wetan, head of human resource development at the ministry, told Reuters at the time: “The five participants have different medical conditions and received medical treatment according to the standard procedures.” He added that all participants had undergone medical checks before the training and that it had involved “no strenuous physical activity”.
Following subsequent pressure from Indonesia’s human rights commission, the government has now confirmed that the training had been restructured. A spokesperson for the defence ministry said: “The technical material and military tactics have been removed, including shooting activities. Physical intensity is also reduced and adjusted with the participants’ backgrounds as civilians.” Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Strait reportedly added that the programme will now focus on “civic defence and managerial training rather than military basic training”.
