UGM Issues Right of Reply Over 5G Vendor Selection Article

Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has issued a formal right of reply and clarification regarding a Media Indonesia article titled ‘Independensi Pemilihan Vendor 5G Kunci Pemerataan Pembangunan’. The university states that the article incorrectly cited Rimawan Pradiptyo, a lecturer in the Department of Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) UGM, as an economist providing views on 5G vendor selection, geopolitical pressures, and their societal impacts. In fact, Mr Pradiptyo has never made any statement, comment, or given an interview to the press on these issues. His prior communication with journalists solely concerned his research on the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART). As an academic known for discipline in making public statements based strictly on his own research, and having never conducted research on information technology or 5G networks, he never provided any statement on the matter. The inclusion of his name in the article risks creating a false public perception that he made such statements. UGM respects journalistic principles and the importance of accuracy in reporting, and therefore requests that Media Indonesia issue a correction or clarification regarding the attribution to Mr Pradiptyo, ensuring that public information aligns with the facts and actual sources. The university expects this right of reply to be published promptly in accordance with applicable regulations, as a form of respect for the rights of sources and reporting accuracy. The statement was signed by Gumilang Aryo Sahadewo, Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Cooperation, and Alumni.