- Indonesia’s Minister of Human Rights, Natalius Pigai, supports West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi’s plan to send troubled students to military barracks for discipline training, clarifying that it’s not military education but a form of "educational barracks."
- The initiative aims to develop discipline, mentality, responsibility, and morals without involving corporal punishment, such as pinching ears or using rattan canes, which Pigai emphasized are not part of the program.
- Pigai defended the program against human rights concerns, stating that it aligns with international juvenile justice guidelines and is not a violation of rights, as no physical abuse would be involved.
Indonesia's Minister of Human Rights, Natalius Pigai, expressed support for West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi’s plan to send students who frequently cause trouble or engage in brawls to military barracks for discipline training.
“This is not military education. Students are being educated in barracks educational barracks”, Pigai says, adding that the initiative aims to improve discipline, mentality, responsibility, and morals.
He stipulated that imposing military-style boot camps on behaviorally problematic pupils would not trample on human rights since physical abuse would never be part of the program but rather discipline-directed training provided by the military. Why not? Actually, the education will be even better. So where is the human rights violation?" he asked. "I've cross-checked it. The governor came to my office. I asked if there would be any physical mistreatment he said no".
Pigai clarified that punishments like pinching ears or hitting with a rattan cane traditional in the past amount to corporal punishment and are not included in the plan now.
"That's corporal punishment, and that's what we disagree with. But I've already checked: Mr. Dedi Mulyadi has said such practices are not involved. The emphasis is on enhancing abilities, skills, and productivity", he said.
Pigai, a former member of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), said the governor's initiative is aimed at developing discipline and character, cultivating mental toughness, and instilling a sense of responsibility among students. To counter criticism that the program is a violation of human rights and has been complained to Komnas HAM, Pigai maintained that the commission misinterpreted the context of the program.
"If they really read the Beijing Declaration or the Riyadh Guidelines on the juvenile justice system, they would realize this is not part of the juvenile criminal justice process", he said.
