KIKA Says Natalius Pigai's Statement Normalises Terror Against Student Activist
The Indonesian Caucus for Academic Freedom (KIKA) has condemned a statement by Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai, who said the government was not behind the terror campaign targeting Tiyo Ardianto, chair of Gadjah Mada University's Student Executive Board (BEM UGM) in Yogyakarta.
Pigai had previously stated that anyone attributing the threats to the government was engaging in opinion manipulation. "That steers opinion as though the government is suppressing the opposition, activists or students. That is not the case — especially via WhatsApp," he said on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, when asked about the terror directed at Tiyo, who had criticised the government.
The former National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) member said President Prabowo Subianto had forbidden the use of the law as a tool to suppress the opposition, adding that Prabowo was open to criticism. "When the president has made his position clear, we comply," he said.
KIKA Presidium Chair Rina Mardiana criticised Pigai's remarks as a form of normalising terror. As a public official, she said, Pigai has a constitutional obligation to protect citizens, not to stand by whilst academic freedom is attacked.
According to Rina, the government should instead appreciate Tiyo's critical stance as part of students' concern for various state policies detrimental to the public interest. The free nutritious meals programme (MBG) criticised by Tiyo and BEM UGM was a policy drawn up in haste by the government. "It only benefits a handful of elites for their business interests," Rina said during an online KIKA press conference responding to the terror against Tiyo on Tuesday, 17 February 2026.
KIKA Advisory Board member Herlambang P. Wiratraman said Pigai's statement depicted a public official evading responsibility. He expressed regret that Pigai had failed to explain what steps the government was taking to safeguard freedom of expression and academic freedom.
This absence of accountability, Herlambang said, in fact demonstrates the normalisation of digital repression or the toleration of intimidation. Pigai lacked the sensitivity to understand human rights violations, particularly the constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression and academic freedom.
Herlambang said Pigai's words indicated he already knew who was behind the terror. "If he doesn't know but dares to say they are not involved, that is speculative — mere idle talk," Herlambang said.
According to Herlambang, if the government fails to uncover the terror against Tiyo, it is condoning human rights violations. Article 1, paragraph 6 of the Human Rights Law stipulates that human rights violations occur through omission. "The government must firmly protect citizens' fundamental freedom of expression, because it is clearly guaranteed in the Constitution — and has been since this republic was founded," he said.
BEM UGM Chair Tiyo Ardianto said the student body's protest against Prabowo took the form of an open letter to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). BEM sent the letter on 6 February 2026 in response to the tragedy of a primary school pupil in East Nusa Tenggara who reportedly took their own life, allegedly unable to afford a pen and school books costing less than Rp 10,000.
At the close of the letter, BEM UGM declared that President Prabowo Subianto was blind to reality and unwilling to learn. "Emphatically, our important message to UNICEF: help us to tell Prabowo Subianto how stupid he is as president," the letter read.
The letter became a topic of public discussion and was widely debated on social media. According to Tiyo, it was not about Prabowo personally but rather a critique of various public policies. "It is about Prabowo's incompetent power infrastructure, not Prabowo the individual," Tiyo said during the KIKA press conference.
Tiyo began receiving threats after protesting against the Prabowo administration. He received a WhatsApp message containing kidnapping threats from a number with a British country code, four days after BEM criticised Prabowo. Besides kidnapping threats, the perpetrator also sent messages accusing Tiyo of being a foreign agent and seeking attention. "Foreign agent. Stop seeking the spotlight peddling rubbish narratives," the message read.
Beyond Tiyo himself, the intimidation spread to his parents and 30 BEM board members after he protested against the free nutritious meals programme. The messages were similar in content, according to Tiyo. The sender attached a photograph of Tiyo captioned as the BEM UGM Chair who had embezzled fundraising money intended for students receiving the Indonesia Smart Card (KIP).
After receiving the threats, Tiyo's mother became anxious. Tiyo denied that BEM UGM had misappropriated any funds, saying it was an old issue deliberately exploited by the perpetrators to attack him and BEM UGM. Since the threats began, he said he had continued his activities as normal. On Friday, 13 February 2026, for instance, he was still able to deliver an oration at an event organised by the Komunitas Suara Ibu Indonesia at the UGM Roundabout, alongside several academics and activists.
Tiyo received further threat intelligence the day after his protest. A fellow student informed him that someone was targeting him for delivering an oration against the MBG programme, and that the individual had threatened to kill him.
Tiyo affirmed that BEM UGM was undeterred by the terror. He had filed a protection request with the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) following the series of threats. LPSK has since documented the various threats experienced by Tiyo.
UGM, through its Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, Community Service and Alumni, Arie Sujito, confirmed the university was paying close attention and had convened a meeting to respond to the terror against Tiyo. "The Rectorate has assigned officers from the Office of Security, Occupational Safety, Emergency Response and Environment," Tiyo said.
Pigai had previously stated that anyone attributing the threats to the government was engaging in opinion manipulation. "That steers opinion as though the government is suppressing the opposition, activists or students. That is not the case — especially via WhatsApp," he said on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, when asked about the terror directed at Tiyo, who had criticised the government.
The former National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) member said President Prabowo Subianto had forbidden the use of the law as a tool to suppress the opposition, adding that Prabowo was open to criticism. "When the president has made his position clear, we comply," he said.
KIKA Presidium Chair Rina Mardiana criticised Pigai's remarks as a form of normalising terror. As a public official, she said, Pigai has a constitutional obligation to protect citizens, not to stand by whilst academic freedom is attacked.
According to Rina, the government should instead appreciate Tiyo's critical stance as part of students' concern for various state policies detrimental to the public interest. The free nutritious meals programme (MBG) criticised by Tiyo and BEM UGM was a policy drawn up in haste by the government. "It only benefits a handful of elites for their business interests," Rina said during an online KIKA press conference responding to the terror against Tiyo on Tuesday, 17 February 2026.
KIKA Advisory Board member Herlambang P. Wiratraman said Pigai's statement depicted a public official evading responsibility. He expressed regret that Pigai had failed to explain what steps the government was taking to safeguard freedom of expression and academic freedom.
This absence of accountability, Herlambang said, in fact demonstrates the normalisation of digital repression or the toleration of intimidation. Pigai lacked the sensitivity to understand human rights violations, particularly the constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression and academic freedom.
Herlambang said Pigai's words indicated he already knew who was behind the terror. "If he doesn't know but dares to say they are not involved, that is speculative — mere idle talk," Herlambang said.
According to Herlambang, if the government fails to uncover the terror against Tiyo, it is condoning human rights violations. Article 1, paragraph 6 of the Human Rights Law stipulates that human rights violations occur through omission. "The government must firmly protect citizens' fundamental freedom of expression, because it is clearly guaranteed in the Constitution — and has been since this republic was founded," he said.
BEM UGM Chair Tiyo Ardianto said the student body's protest against Prabowo took the form of an open letter to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). BEM sent the letter on 6 February 2026 in response to the tragedy of a primary school pupil in East Nusa Tenggara who reportedly took their own life, allegedly unable to afford a pen and school books costing less than Rp 10,000.
At the close of the letter, BEM UGM declared that President Prabowo Subianto was blind to reality and unwilling to learn. "Emphatically, our important message to UNICEF: help us to tell Prabowo Subianto how stupid he is as president," the letter read.
The letter became a topic of public discussion and was widely debated on social media. According to Tiyo, it was not about Prabowo personally but rather a critique of various public policies. "It is about Prabowo's incompetent power infrastructure, not Prabowo the individual," Tiyo said during the KIKA press conference.
Tiyo began receiving threats after protesting against the Prabowo administration. He received a WhatsApp message containing kidnapping threats from a number with a British country code, four days after BEM criticised Prabowo. Besides kidnapping threats, the perpetrator also sent messages accusing Tiyo of being a foreign agent and seeking attention. "Foreign agent. Stop seeking the spotlight peddling rubbish narratives," the message read.
Beyond Tiyo himself, the intimidation spread to his parents and 30 BEM board members after he protested against the free nutritious meals programme. The messages were similar in content, according to Tiyo. The sender attached a photograph of Tiyo captioned as the BEM UGM Chair who had embezzled fundraising money intended for students receiving the Indonesia Smart Card (KIP).
After receiving the threats, Tiyo's mother became anxious. Tiyo denied that BEM UGM had misappropriated any funds, saying it was an old issue deliberately exploited by the perpetrators to attack him and BEM UGM. Since the threats began, he said he had continued his activities as normal. On Friday, 13 February 2026, for instance, he was still able to deliver an oration at an event organised by the Komunitas Suara Ibu Indonesia at the UGM Roundabout, alongside several academics and activists.
Tiyo received further threat intelligence the day after his protest. A fellow student informed him that someone was targeting him for delivering an oration against the MBG programme, and that the individual had threatened to kill him.
Tiyo affirmed that BEM UGM was undeterred by the terror. He had filed a protection request with the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) following the series of threats. LPSK has since documented the various threats experienced by Tiyo.
UGM, through its Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, Community Service and Alumni, Arie Sujito, confirmed the university was paying close attention and had convened a meeting to respond to the terror against Tiyo. "The Rectorate has assigned officers from the Office of Security, Occupational Safety, Emergency Response and Environment," Tiyo said.