Yvette Tanamal, Jakarta – The death of a civil servant participating in a basic military training under the Defense Ministry's Reserve Component (Komcad) over the weekend has raised fresh public concerns over the program's safety and militarization of the civil service.
On Saturday, Vanreko Varkas Bagaskara, who worked at the Creative Economy Ministry, died after receiving treatment for more than 24 hours while participating in this year's second wave of the training, which began in late August at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in East Jakarta.
Previously on Friday, Vanreko reportedly collapsed ahead of the day's second training session and was admitted to nearby Esnawan Antariksa Air Force Hospital, which said he suffered low blood pressure likely caused by heatstroke brought on by hot weather and physical exhaustion, Tempo reported. After receiving treatment such as cooling and intravenous drips, he regained consciousness later in the evening and his vital signs stabilized.
However, early on Saturday, Vanreko's health sharply deteriorated, with doctors citing systemic complications from the heatstroke that impaired his vital organ functions and triggered repeated seizures.
He was then transferred to Gatot Subroto Army Hospital, where he received intensive treatment. He was later pronounced dead "despite the medical teams' best efforts", said Esnawan Antariksa Air Force Hospital head Iman Fathurrohman on Sunday, as reported by Tempo.
Vanreko's death marked the sixth fatality this year linked to the basic military training under the Komcad program, following five deaths during training of managers for the Red and White Cooperatives and fishing village initiatives in June.
While the June exercise was mandatory, the regular Komcad program that Vanreko participated in is a voluntary program that allows civilians and civil servants to receive basic military training while retaining their civilian jobs, but can be mobilized for national defense under certain conditions.
On Sunday, a coalition of civil society groups, such as Imparsial and the Human Rights Working Group (HRWG), called for transparency over whether civil servants can freely decline to participate without facing career consequences or other pressure, particularly as the government targets 4,000 participants this year.
The coalition also called for a review of the design and governance of the program, urging the government to tighten safety protocols and avoid treating Vanreko's death as an isolated case.
"The government may offer voluntary participation in the program in accordance with the law, but it must not equate the civil servant status with an obligation. [...] It must also not be treated as a substitute for civilian education and training relevant to their positions," the groups said.
They also warned against the broader militarization of the civil service, saying it could blur the separation between civilian governance and defense functions.
In a statement on Monday, another rights group, the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), said military training for civil servants potentially weakened the principle of civilian supremacy established after the Reform era, and did not align with the core functions of the civil service.
"We also urge the Defense Ministry to make public the full chronology of the incident and [Vanreko's] medical records from the start of the training, weather conditions and the physical training load, as well as heatstroke prevention protocols," said Muhamad Isnur from the YLBHI.
The Defense Ministry declined to comment, referring The Jakarta Post's questions to Esnawan Antariksa Air Force Hospital.