Peaceful Resolution After UMY Students Detain Police Intelligence Officer on Campus
An incident involving students from Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) detaining a member of the Yogyakarta Regional Police (Polda DIY) intelligence unit on campus has ended peacefully. This was confirmed by the Head of Public Relations of Polda DIY and the Vice Rector of UMY. The event, which saw students apprehend a plainclothes man inside the UMY campus area, went viral on social media after students held a protest at Yogyakarta’s Titik Nol Kilometer on Wednesday (17/6).
Head of Public Relations for Polda DIY, Commissioner Ihsan, confirmed the man detained by students was a police officer. He explained the individual was an official officer with a written assignment to provide security for the protest. “Regarding the video circulating on social media, we confirm that the man in the video is indeed a member of Polda DIY and an officer officially involved in the service order for the public expression of opinion held yesterday at Titik Nol,” Ihsan stated. He said the officer’s presence was part of a monitoring assignment to ensure protest participants returned to campus safely. Ihsan added that the misunderstanding was resolved humanely through good communication and coordination with the university rectorate and students.
Vice Rector for Education and Student Affairs at UMY, Prof. Dr. Zuly Qodir, said the incident occurred after students from the UMY Bergerak Alliance returned from a peaceful protest at Titik Nol. The protest, which began at 1:30 PM WIB, was orderly and had campus permission with conditions including participant registration. Upon returning around 5:30 PM WIB, students found a plainclothes man on campus and questioned his identity. After checking, he was identified as a Polda DIY intelligence member. The man was taken to the Rectorate Building for clarification, and university leaders immediately mediated. Zuly emphasised the importance of dialogue over physical force. Through communication involving students, campus leaders, and the police, the officer explained his identity and purpose. Polda DIY also provided clarification and picked up the officer. By around 8:00 PM WIB, the situation was declared conducive, with all parties agreeing to a peaceful resolution.