Deputy Minister Sudaryono denies fleeing during tense UGM dialogue
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Agriculture Minister Sudarylarono has denied claims that he left the premises or fled during a dialogue forum with students at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta when the situation became non-conducive.
Sudaryono emphasised that he, alongside the Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) Nusron Wahid and the Head of the Poverty Alleviation Acceleration Agency (BP Taskin) Budiman Sudjatmiko, arrived at UGM with the intention of engaging in an open and democratic dialogue with students.
“We came to UGM specifically to discuss. This event had been planned for a long time and had received permission from the university authorities. This is also not the first activity of this kind,” Sudaryono stated in an official statement received in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Sudaryono provided clarification regarding the incident that occurred during the discussion agenda held at the Innovation and Creativity Arena (GIK) of Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Yogyakarta, on Monday (15/6).
According to Sudaryono, from the beginning, he and the speakers provided ample space for students to ask questions and criticise government policies.
“It does not matter what is asked. It does not matter if we are judged in any way. We are here to dialogue democratically,” he said.
However, amidst the forum, Sudaryono noted that a group of participants did not want the discussion to continue, causing the situation to become unstable.
“We managed to discuss for about 30-40 minutes. But then there was a group of people who wanted the forum to be stopped, even though the majority of students actually wanted to listen and engage in dialogue,” he revealed.
He admitted that he remained at the location with Minister Nusron, believing that dialogue is the best way to resolve differing views. However, the situation reportedly escalated after water bottles were thrown and alleged physical assaults occurred.
“I felt that someone hit me. There was also the throwing of water. Because the situation was no longer conducive, security personnel advised us to leave,” he said.
Sudaryono denied the notion that he and his entourage left the location to avoid dialogue.
“If anyone says that Sudaryono and Nusron fled, that is incorrect. In fact, we were the ones who came to discuss. Even when our car was intercepted and we were being sought out, we came back out and sat cross-legged on the asphalt to continue the dialogue,” he asserted.
During the spontaneous discussion, several students raised criticisms regarding land issues and allegations of evictions. According to Sudaryono, he is open to directly verifying every issue presented.
He emphasised that the government, under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto, is open to criticism and upholds democratic principles.
“If there are errors, we will fix them. That is a reflection of democracy. People are allowed to have opinions, but they must also respect the opinions of others,” he said.
Sudaryono also expressed his apologies to the students who attended with the intention of discussing but were unable to participate optimally due to the situation.
“I apologise to the students who actually wanted to engage in a proper dialogue. We are ready if invited again, whether in Yogyakarta or Jakarta. The important thing is that we discuss,” he said.
Concluding his statement, Sudaryono reaffirmed the government’s commitment to continuing to open spaces for dialogue with various elements of society.