Deputy Minister Sudaryono denies fleeing during tense UGM dialogue

Deputy Minister of Agriculture (Wamentan) Sudaryono has denied leaving the venue or fleeing when a dialogue forum with students at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in Yogyakarta became unconducive. Sudaryono stressed that he, along with Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) Nusron Wahid and Head of the Poverty Alleviation Acceleration Agency (BP Taskin) Budiman Sudjatmiko, came to UGM with the intention of holding an open and democratic discussion with students. “We came to UGM precisely to discuss. This event had been planned for a long time and had received permission from the campus authorities. This is also not the first activity of its kind,” Sudaryono said 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 Centre (GIK) of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Yogyakarta, on Monday (15/6). According to Sudaryono, from the outset, he and the other speakers opened the widest possible space for students to ask questions or criticise government policies. “It was fine to be asked anything. It was also fine to be judged in any way. We were present to engage in a democratic dialogue,” he said. However, in the middle of the forum, Sudaryono noted that a group of participants did not want the discussion to continue, causing the situation to become unconducive. “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 to staying at the location with Minister Nusron because he believed dialogue was the best way to resolve differences of opinion. However, the situation reportedly escalated after bottles of water were thrown and alleged physical actions occurred. “I felt someone hit me. There was also water thrown. Because the situation was no longer conducive, the security team advised us to leave,” he said. Sudaryono refuted the notion that he and his entourage left the location to avoid dialogue. “If anyone says Sudaryono and Nusron fled, that is inaccurate. We were the ones who came to discuss. In fact, when our car was blocked and we were being sought after, we got out again and sat cross-legged on the asphalt to continue the dialogue,” he asserted. During that spontaneous discussion, a number of students conveyed criticism related to land issues and alleged evictions. According to Sudaryono, he was open to directly verifying every issue raised. He stressed that the government under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto is open to criticism and upholds democracy. “If something is wrong, we fix it. That is a reflection of democracy. People may have opinions, but they must also respect the opinions of others,” he said. Sudaryono also apologised to students who had attended with the intention of discussing but were unable to participate in the forum optimally due to the situation that occurred. “I apologise to the students who actually wanted to have a good 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 affirmed the government’s commitment to continuing to open spaces for dialogue with various elements of society.