Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – The Alliance for the Elimination of Violence Against Children (Aliansi PKTA) urges Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to halt the steps taken by West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi to send students considered problematic to military barracks. According to this anti-violence alliance against children, military-style discipline is not suitable for children.
The coalition has asked Prabowo to instruct central and regional government officials to take child-friendly steps in addressing the problems of students with deviant behavior.
"The practice of sending problematic students to TNI barracks for discipline not only violates the rights of children, but also contradicts the basic principles of child protection in national and international law," said the Aliansi PKTA, quoted from an official statement on Sunday, May 4, 2025.
The coalition stated that interventions for children should consider the complex factors causing antisocial behavior. Deviant acts by children are not simply decisions made by themselves, but are influenced by several factors such as family, education, environment, and peer influence.
Furthermore, the alliance mentioned that reflecting on the long-standing phenomenon of violence by authorities, sending children for discipline in barracks should not be done. They referred to the records of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) which stated that from October 2023 to September 2024, there were 64 incidents of TNI violence against civilians.
From this number of incidents, several underage individuals were among the casualties. One of the cases involved a child with the initials MHS who died after being assaulted by TNI members at the scene of a brawl. This violence record, according to the coalition, shows the tendency of TNI forces to prioritize excessive violence or strength.
"Such a militaristic nature actually has the potential to threaten children's freedom, so that children will learn and grow in an environment that does not meet the needs of children, and does not address the root causes of deviant behavior," they added.
Moreover, the alliance considers placing children in barracks will label them as naughty children. "This is very dangerous because it will create a negative stigma against children," said the Aliansi PKTA.
The alliance mentioned that the appropriate solution lies in returning children to their parents, environment, and education as elements responsible for the children. Strengthening, improving, and protecting while upholding the interests of children should also be prioritized so that children can grow and develop in a supportive and positive environment.
According to them, one mechanism to strengthen the family support system can be done through the Family Learning Center or Puspaga program of the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection. This program can be utilized for training sessions for parents and to teach child-friendly interventions.
Dedi Mulyadi's plan for military-style character education for students deemed problematic has been implemented since Thursday, May 1, 2025. Purwakarta and Bandung are the first two regions to carry out the semi-military character development program involving the TNI.
At least 69 students have been sent to military barracks. Dedi Mulyadi stated that the criteria for children included in the semi-military education program start from junior high school level.