Military-style training programmes for civilian co-operative jobs in Indonesia have come under intense scrutiny after several trainees died during mandatory boot camps, raising fresh concerns over the expanding role of the armed forces in civilian governance under President Prabowo Subianto, according to a report by the Financial Times.
Thousands of young Indonesians selected for state-backed village co-operatives were required to undergo a 45-day military training programme, where they were issued fatigues, placed in military units and instructed in drills, marching and firearms use. According to government figures cited by the Financial Times, five of the 35,000 participants died due to complications including heatstroke, cardiac arrest and respiratory distress.
The deaths have triggered public outrage and intensified debate over the government’s increasing reliance on military structures for civilian policy implementation. The Financial Times reports that critics see the programme as part of a broader pattern of militarisation under Prabowo, a former general who assumed office in 2024 and has since expanded the military’s involvement in non-defence sectors.
Human rights advocates cited in the report raised concerns about the relevance of military training for civilian co-operative management. Anis Hidayah of Indonesia’s National Human Rights Commission told the Financial Times that there was “no relevance between military training and capacity building for managing co-operatives” and called for an investigation and suspension of the programme. She warned that continued militarisation of civilian functions posed risks to human rights and democratic governance.
The Financial Times reports that the controversy comes amid broader economic and political strain in Indonesia. Investors and citizens have expressed concern over macroeconomic pressures, rising state intervention in key sectors, and mounting fiscal burdens linked to large-scale welfare programmes promoted by Prabowo’s administration. The Indonesian rupiah has reportedly traded near historic lows, while the country’s stock market has underperformed globally this year.
According to the report, Prabowo has increasingly leaned on the military to implement government policies. Legislation passed last year expanded the ability of active-duty soldiers to take senior roles in government. Military personnel have also been deployed to support flagship welfare initiatives, including running food kitchens and distributing meals to schoolchildren under a nationwide programme, as well as assisting in the establishment of village co-operatives.
The co-operative programme, launched in July 2025 and backed by government funding and state-owned banks, aims to establish 80,000 outlets selling essential goods such as rice, cooking oil and fertiliser at subsidised prices. It also provides financing support through local loans, with thousands of co-operatives already operational across the country.
More than 400,000 applicants reportedly competed for around 35,000 managerial positions in the scheme. Those selected were then required to complete the military-style training before assuming their roles. At the training camps, participants were subjected to early morning wake-ups, physical drills, marching exercises and classroom instruction conducted in uniformed, barracks-style conditions, according to the Financial Times report.
The report also notes that instructors used a system of “punishments and rewards” based on participant performance, as described by Indonesia’s state news agency Antara citing military officials. Following the deaths, the government adjusted the programme by reducing physical intensity and removing certain activities such as firearms training, though it has not suspended the initiative entirely.
Government officials defended the training as necessary for instilling discipline and leadership skills. Major General Ketut Gede Wetan Pastia, quoted in the Financial Times, said the programme aimed to develop character, integrity, teamwork and resilience among participants under the framework of national defence and managerial training. Officials also stated that basic medical screening was conducted for all trainees, although some pre-existing conditions went undetected.
Parliamentarians and critics, however, have questioned the design and cost of the programme. Lawmaker TB Hasanuddin told the Financial Times that training should focus on managerial and entrepreneurial skills rather than high-risk military activities, adding that the cost per participant was approximately Rp45 million, with the majority allocated to military components. He argued that removing the military element could significantly reduce government expenditure.
The Financial Times report situates the programme within a broader pattern of military engagement in civilian life under Prabowo, including a retreat for newly appointed cabinet members at a national military academy shortly after his inauguration in 2024, aimed at reinforcing loyalty and discipline.
Concerns over institutional direction have also been raised by rights groups. Amnesty International Indonesia’s Usman Hamid warned, in comments cited by the Financial Times, that the growing influence of the military in governance could risk reversing democratic reforms implemented after the fall of the Suharto regime in 1998, when Indonesia ended a system that had allowed the military to play a dual role in both security and civilian affairs.
The Financial Times reports that critics fear continued expansion of military influence into economic and social policy could entrench long-term structural changes in governance. While the government maintains that the programme is designed to build discipline and improve service delivery, the recent fatalities have intensified scrutiny over the balance between development policy and militarisation.
As investigations and public debate continue, the deaths at the training camps have become a focal point in Indonesia’s wider discussion over the role of the military in civilian life and the direction of policy under Prabowo’s administration.
