Students Storm Discussion with Officials at UGM, Brief Chase Ensues

Hundreds of students stormed a discussion event featuring three state officials at the Joglo Gelanggang Inovasi dan Kreativitas (GIK) of Gadjah Mada University (UGM) on Monday evening (15/6). The incident was also marked by a chase between students and the attending officials.

The action took place while a forum attended by the Head of the Poverty Alleviation Acceleration Agency Budiman Sudjatmiko, Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency Nusron Wahid, and Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono was underway.

Initially, the discussion proceeded smoothly. However, shortly afterwards, a number of students climbed onto the stage and unfurled banners rejecting the speakers. The situation heated up until the discussion was halted and plastic cups were thrown. The three officials were then evacuated, but hundreds of students blocked them outside the UGM GIK building.

Nusron Wahid and Sudaryono briefly engaged in dialogue with the crowd, but the talks again reached a deadlock. As both men left the location under escort, a shoving match occurred between students and security personnel.

A representative of the UGM Student Union (SEMA), Mesa, confirmed that the action was a form of criticism against the government. They argued that as long as the government considers criticism a disturbance, the officials are unfit to speak about Pancasila.

“They are unfit to discuss Pancasila while Indonesia still silences the people’s voice, while they consider criticism a disturbance, while they still waste the people’s money on useless programmes, the MBG programme, Kopdes Merah Putih, and many things happening now,” Mesa said when contacted on Tuesday (16/6/2026).

Mesa stated that the friction which occurred was normal in a democratic country. According to him, it happens when the government can no longer be reminded gently. “The friction actually occurred because they talk a lot of nonsense, they lie a lot,” he said. “The friction that happened earlier is actually a normal thing in a democratic country, where they can no longer just be whispered to, but must be shouted at,” he added.

Regarding the chase, he said it was triggered by the officials’ unwillingness to engage in discussion with the students. “The chase actually happened because they were avoiding us. We would not have chased them if they had answered my simple question: did they feel guilty? No. They instead asked a question back and explicitly felt no guilt. That is the consequence of their actions,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono provided an explanation regarding the incident. In his statement, Sudaryono stressed that his presence and that of the other officials at the UGM campus was from the outset intended for an open dialogue with students.

“We came to UGM specifically to discuss. This event was planned long ago and had obtained permission from the university. This is also not the first activity of its kind,” Sudaryono said in a written statement received by reporters on Tuesday (16/6/2026).

According to Sudaryono, from the beginning, he and the other speakers opened the widest possible space for students to ask questions or criticise government policies. “It doesn’t matter what you ask. It doesn’t matter how you judge us. We came to engage in a democratic dialogue,” he said.

However, in the middle of the forum, Sudaryono claimed there was a group of participants who did not want the discussion to continue, making the situation unconducive. “We managed to discuss for about 30 to 40 minutes. But then there was a group that wanted the forum stopped. In fact, most students actually wanted to listen and engage in dialogue,” he revealed.

He admitted that he and Nusron Wahid stayed at the location because they believed dialogue was the best way to resolve differences of opinion. However, the situation reportedly escalated after water was thrown and an alleged physical attack 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 denied the notion that he and his entourage left the location to avoid dialogue. “If there are claims that Sudaryono and Nusron ran away, that is not accurate. We were the ones who came to discuss. Even when our car was blocked and we were being sought after, we got out and sat cross-legged on the asphalt to continue the dialogue,” he asserted.

He explained that during the spontaneous discussion on the asphalt, he and Nusron Wahid received various inputs and criticisms from students, including issues related to land and alleged evictions. Sudaryono claimed he was open to directly verifying every issue raised.

“If there really is an eviction or a specific agrarian problem, let’s check it together. I am even prepared to use my personal funds to visit the location and see the problem firsthand,” said Sudaryono.

He stressed that the government under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto is open to criticism and upholds democracy. “If there is a mistake, we will fix it. That is a reflection of democracy. People can have opinions, but they must also respect the opinions of others,” he said.

Sudaryono also apologised to the students who attended with the intention of discussing but were unable to participate optimally due to the situation. “I apologise to the younger students who actually wanted to have a good discussion. We are ready if invited again, whether in Yogyakarta or Jakarta. The important thing is that we discuss,” he said.

Sudaryono affirmed the government’s commitment to continue opening spaces for dialogue with all elements of society. “Based on love for the country, we are ready to engage in dialogue with anyone. This is proof that the government is democratic and open to criticism and input,” he concluded.