BEM UGM Social Media Illustration Depicting State Symbols Draws Sharp Criticism
An illustration posted on the social media of the Executive Board of Students (BEM) at Universitas Gadjah Mada that depicted the symbolisation of the President of the Republic of Indonesia has drawn sharp criticism. Several civil society organisations have assessed that the illustration does not reflect intellectual ethics and demeans the symbol of the head of state.
The Secretary General of the Institute of Democracy and Education (IDE) Indonesia, Sihab Fajar Pratama, acknowledged that the freedom to criticise within democracy is indeed a right of every citizen. However, according to him, such freedom must not be used to demean state symbols.
“In democracy, criticism is normal and even important. But such freedom must not become freedom to demean state symbols in ways that do not reflect intellectual maturity,” said Sihab in a statement on Monday (9 March).
He lamented the controversy arising from the illustration in BEM UGM’s social media posting depicting the President in a symbolisation deemed demeaning. According to him, criticism of the government should stem from strong policy analysis, not mere visual provocation.
“Criticism of the government should stem from strong policy analysis, not from visual provocation that merely demonstrates poverty of thought,” he said.
IDE Indonesia assessed that a critical approach relying on provocative symbolisation does not contribute to improving public policy. Conversely, such an approach was deemed more akin to political sensationalism that could damage the quality of public discourse.
“Such approaches are not enlightening criticism, but merely political sensation that contributes nothing to improving public policy,” he said.
Similar criticism was also voiced by the civil society organisation Garda Keadilan (Justice Front). Secretary General of Garda Keadilan, Haykal Mumtazul Hakim, assessed that the illustration is not merely visual criticism but an insult to the symbol of the head of state.
“The illustration is not merely visual criticism, but a vulgar insult to the symbol of the head of state and also damages public ethics and common sense,” he said.
According to him, the campus should be a space where mature ideas and dignified criticism are born, not vulgar and provocative symbolisation.
“The campus should produce mature arguments and dignified criticism. What was presented instead is symbolisation that is crude, simplistic, and provocative. This is not intellectual tradition, but sensationalism devoid of substance,” he said.
He also assessed that the illustration reduces the complexity of public policy into simple narratives that mislead, as though state policy is determined solely by personal relations between individuals.
“Public policy in a modern state emerges from a lengthy institutional process, ranging from technocratic studies, political discussions in parliament, to oversight mechanisms within the democratic system. Disregarding such a process and replacing it with a caricature that insults the head of state is not criticism, but misleading visual propaganda,” he stressed.
He assessed that the criticism conveyed through such an illustration fails to address the substance of policy. According to him, rather than testing policy effectiveness or budget transparency, the criticism that emerged was instead personalised through provocative symbolisation.
“Rather than testing policy effectiveness, budget transparency, or impact on society, they instead chose the path of symbolic provocation that personalises state policy. Such an approach does not enlighten the public, but merely creates shallow commotion,” he said.
He also highlighted the form of the illustration depicting the President’s face on the body of a cow with a leash in the hands of the Cabinet Secretary. According to him, such an action is highly inappropriate for a student organisation that claims to represent the intellectual representation of the campus.
“The illustration is morally repugnant and highly inappropriate. Even more ironic, this occurs during Ramadan, when society should maintain ethics, speech, and clarity of heart in voicing criticism,” he said.
Both IDE Indonesia and Garda Keadilan reminded that democracy requires sharp yet rational and responsible criticism, not mere symbolic commotion without analytical depth.