TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former chairperson of the Gadjah Mada University Student Executive Board (BEM UGM), Tiyo Ardianto, has recently been subjected to a series of threats from unknown individuals, including the alleged tracking of his movements using a device planted on his vehicle.
These latest intimidations emerged after he joined the "Gejayan Memanggil" (Gejayan is calling) rally in Yogyakarta on Saturday, June 13, 2026, where a PBX Finder tracking device was discovered attached beneath the chassis of a borrowed car he was driving.
Reflecting on the incident, Tiyo remarked that the threats he faces were unusual, pointing to an authoritarian regime that often stifles public criticism with intimidation. "How dangerous it has become to be an Indonesian who simply loves their country," Tiyo stated on Saturday, June 13, 2026.
Tiyo has long been a vocal critic of the Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka administration, and Tempo notes that this latest incident follows a series of previous threats and acts of intimidation leveled against him.
Intimidation over Opposition to the TNI Law
On March 20, 2025, during his tenure as BEM UGM chairperson, Tiyo revealed he faced intense psychological pressure and threats after mobilizing protests against amendments to the Indonesian Military or TNI Law.
Among the intimidation tactics was a banner hung at the Abu Bakar Ali parking square, the designated assembly point for students opposing the bill, which read, "Awas Gerakan Mahasiswa Disusupi Antek Asing" (beware of foreign agents infiltrating the student movement), painted in a blood-red font.
The banner displayed the faces of four student leaders, including Tiyo, who simultaneously began receiving digital messages targeting the safety of his parents.
Tiyo explained that the anonymous warnings explicitly threatened his family's well-being should he continue to protest the passage of the TNI Law. "I will not be cowed, and I will continue to stand against policies that disregard the public interest," Tiyo said defiantly at the time.
Threats Following Criticism of Prabowo over an NTT Student's Suicide
Tiyo was targeted again after holding President Prabowo accountable for the tragic suicide of an elementary school student in East Nusa Tenggara who was unable to afford basic school supplies. Following the public critique, Tiyo received a WhatsApp message from a UK-based phone number threatening him with abduction.
The text accused him of being a foreign provocateur merely chasing clout, which was quickly followed by physical surveillance.
Just a day after the digital threats, Tiyo noticed two unidentified men shadowing him at a local café. "They took a photo of me and hurriedly left the place," Tiyo recalled on Thursday, February 12, 2026.
Financial Inducements Linked to Authorities
Beyond physical and digital intimidation, attempts were also made to compromise Tiyo’s stance through lucrative financial offers, which the UGM philosophy major alleges originated from state actors.
Tiyo explicitly pointed to officials from a prominent state institution, though he has chosen to withhold the exact names of the individuals and the agency involved. "However, I stand firmly by this testimony," Tiyo asserted when contacted on Tuesday, June 9, 2026.
In a photo-text collage shared on his social media account, Tiyo detailed how an intermediary, whom he knew slightly, approached him on behalf of these high-ranking officials.
The contact reached out to schedule a meeting in Yogyakarta on Sunday, June 7, 2026. "I accepted the invitation without any suspicion since my schedule was clear," Tiyo said.
During the meeting, the intermediary disclosed that leadership figures within the powerful institution wished to meet Tiyo personally to offer him whatever backing he desired.
Before Tiyo could make a response, the emissary went on to share that a leader of another prominent national movement had recently accepted a similar payout from the institution.
According to the intermediary, that particular arrangement was set to materialize into a regional business venture valued in the billions of rupiah.
Tiyo interjected before the pitch could be finished, stating plainly that he had no interest in the luxuries being offered by the institutional leadership.
He suspected the sudden generosity was a calculated move by the ruling elite to co-opt vocal dissidents, especially since the intermediary admitted that those who accepted such offers were expected to display obedience and loyalty.
Tiyo emphasized that not every activist has a price tag that can be met with promises of sudden wealth. "This world still has plenty of people who are simply striving to do what is right," he concluded.
Hendrik Yaputra contributed to this article.
Read: Ex-UGM Student Council President Finds Tracking Device Under His Car
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