Human Rights Minister: Government Not Behind Terror Campaign Against UGM Student Leader
Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai has stated that the government is not behind the terror campaign targeting Tiyo Ardianto, chairman of the Student Executive Board (BEM) at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta. Natalius said that anyone claiming to act on behalf of the government is engaging in opinion manipulation.
"It steers public opinion as though the government is suppressing the opposition, activists, or students. That is not the case — especially not through WhatsApp," Natalius said on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, when asked about the threats against Tiyo, who had criticised the government.
The former National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) member said President Prabowo Subianto has prohibited the use of the law as a tool to suppress the opposition. Prabowo, he added, is also open to criticism. "When the president has stated his position, we comply," he said.
The minister maintained that the government takes no offence at criticism, claiming that no one has been imprisoned for voicing dissent. "If it involves criminal conduct, that is a different matter," he said.
According to Natalius, student criticism serves as a corrective mechanism and provides input for the government. The administration also views criticism as an effort towards improvement. "Input aimed at the public interest and the common people is welcome. But accusing the government of conducting terror — that goes too far," he said.
Natalius urged the police to investigate the threats, noting that the perpetrator's telephone number can be traced and the message content examined. "The police will determine who is responsible," he said.
Tiyo experienced the intimidation after criticising the Prabowo administration for failing to guarantee children's basic rights, following the suicide of a primary school pupil in Ngada Regency, East Nusa Tenggara.
Tiyo received a threatening WhatsApp message containing kidnapping threats from a number with a British country code, four days after BEM criticised Prabowo. In addition to the kidnapping threat, the sender accused Tiyo of being a foreign agent and seeking publicity. "Foreign agent. Stop seeking the spotlight peddling rubbish narratives," the message read.
Tempo verified the number through the Getcontact application, but the owner's identity was not registered.
According to Tiyo, beyond the threatening WhatsApp messages, he was also followed by two individuals whilst at a café. The surveillance occurred the day after the threats emerged. "They took photographs and hurried away," Tiyo said when contacted on Thursday, 12 February 2026.
BEM's protest against Prabowo took the form of an open letter sent to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN agency focused on protecting children's rights, health, nutrition, and education worldwide.
BEM dispatched the letter on 6 February in response to the tragedy of a primary school pupil who took their own life in East Nusa Tenggara, reportedly because they could not afford a pen and school books costing less than Rp 10,000.
According to Tiyo, the incident reflects the state's failure to guarantee children's basic rights, particularly access to education. The failure to provide child protection is inseparable from the government's policies and spending priorities.
UGM has since provided monitoring and protection for Tiyo. UGM spokesperson I Made Andi Arsana said the university leadership had been in communication with Tiyo Ardianto following the external threats.
"UGM's leadership has tasked the Office of Security, Occupational Safety, Emergency, and Environment (K5L) with carrying out the necessary monitoring and protection," I Made Andi said when contacted on Sunday, 15 February 2026.
Andi affirmed that UGM is obliged to protect all members of its academic community from threats or intimidation originating from any quarter, on behalf of the institution and in accordance with the constitution.
"It steers public opinion as though the government is suppressing the opposition, activists, or students. That is not the case — especially not through WhatsApp," Natalius said on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, when asked about the threats against Tiyo, who had criticised the government.
The former National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) member said President Prabowo Subianto has prohibited the use of the law as a tool to suppress the opposition. Prabowo, he added, is also open to criticism. "When the president has stated his position, we comply," he said.
The minister maintained that the government takes no offence at criticism, claiming that no one has been imprisoned for voicing dissent. "If it involves criminal conduct, that is a different matter," he said.
According to Natalius, student criticism serves as a corrective mechanism and provides input for the government. The administration also views criticism as an effort towards improvement. "Input aimed at the public interest and the common people is welcome. But accusing the government of conducting terror — that goes too far," he said.
Natalius urged the police to investigate the threats, noting that the perpetrator's telephone number can be traced and the message content examined. "The police will determine who is responsible," he said.
Tiyo experienced the intimidation after criticising the Prabowo administration for failing to guarantee children's basic rights, following the suicide of a primary school pupil in Ngada Regency, East Nusa Tenggara.
Tiyo received a threatening WhatsApp message containing kidnapping threats from a number with a British country code, four days after BEM criticised Prabowo. In addition to the kidnapping threat, the sender accused Tiyo of being a foreign agent and seeking publicity. "Foreign agent. Stop seeking the spotlight peddling rubbish narratives," the message read.
Tempo verified the number through the Getcontact application, but the owner's identity was not registered.
According to Tiyo, beyond the threatening WhatsApp messages, he was also followed by two individuals whilst at a café. The surveillance occurred the day after the threats emerged. "They took photographs and hurried away," Tiyo said when contacted on Thursday, 12 February 2026.
BEM's protest against Prabowo took the form of an open letter sent to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN agency focused on protecting children's rights, health, nutrition, and education worldwide.
BEM dispatched the letter on 6 February in response to the tragedy of a primary school pupil who took their own life in East Nusa Tenggara, reportedly because they could not afford a pen and school books costing less than Rp 10,000.
According to Tiyo, the incident reflects the state's failure to guarantee children's basic rights, particularly access to education. The failure to provide child protection is inseparable from the government's policies and spending priorities.
UGM has since provided monitoring and protection for Tiyo. UGM spokesperson I Made Andi Arsana said the university leadership had been in communication with Tiyo Ardianto following the external threats.
"UGM's leadership has tasked the Office of Security, Occupational Safety, Emergency, and Environment (K5L) with carrying out the necessary monitoring and protection," I Made Andi said when contacted on Sunday, 15 February 2026.
Andi affirmed that UGM is obliged to protect all members of its academic community from threats or intimidation originating from any quarter, on behalf of the institution and in accordance with the constitution.