Prabowo Support Group Reports Former UGM Student Leader Tiyo Ardianto to Criminal Investigation Unit

A group calling itself the People’s Movement to Support and Defend Prabowo (Garda Prabowo) has filed a complaint against former Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Student Executive Board (BEM) chairman Tiyo Ardianto with the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Unit (Bareskrim) on Thursday (18/6). The complaint concerns alleged insults directed at President Prabowo Subianto. This follows a previous report filed against Tiyo by lawyer Firdaus Oiwobo at the South Tangerang Police.

Daeng Lukman, chairman of Garda Prabowo’s Legal Aid Institute (LBH), lodged the public complaint (Dumas), asserting that Tiyo’s statements were not criticism but personal insults and attacks against the President. ‘Our complaint concerns Mr Tiyo Ardianto, the former UGM BEM chairman who insulted the President with inappropriate language… I think everyone knows what was said,’ Daeng Lukman stated at Bareskrim, Jakarta. He explained that under the new Criminal Code, a direct police report cannot be filed by a third party, as it must be made by the aggrieved individual. Garda Prabowo therefore submitted a public complaint to channel the aspirations of citizens who condemned Tiyo’s remarks. ‘Because the Indonesian people have been coming to the Garda Prabowo office, which is essentially our base camp, as his supporters. We cannot ignore this, so we came to Police Headquarters after prior consultation,’ he clarified. Daeng Lukman noted that President Prabowo serves as the organisation’s Board of Patrons.

Garda Prabowo was accompanied by advocates Sunan Kalijaga and Ferdinand Hutahahean during the filing. Ferdinand argued that Tiyo’s remarks, which compared the President to an animal, were deeply inappropriate. ‘Mr Tiyo’s statement comparing our president to an animal. Such a statement is disgusting and we hesitate to repeat it, fearing children might imitate it,’ he said. He further accused Tiyo of spreading a hoax regarding the installation of a tracking device or radar finder on a vehicle. He stated the complaint also aims to clarify this alleged tracking device claim, which he believes has created damaging accusations and placed a burden on the government. Ferdinand denied that the complaint was an attempt to silence criticism, claiming Garda Prabowo does not seek to imprison Tiyo but merely to remind him to deliver criticism politely. ‘Our constitution guarantees freedom of expression, but not freedom to insult, defame, or harass. That is what we want to remind the public and fellow students who have been demonstrating lately: to uphold morality,’ he said. As of now, there has been no statement from the Gerindra Party regarding whether Garda Prabowo is officially affiliated with Prabowo Subianto. CNN Indonesia has contacted Gerindra spokesperson Bahtra Banong but has yet to receive a response.