Thekabarnews.com—Students disrupted the public discussion on “Pancasila Pemersatu Bangsa” at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) on Monday, June 15. The academic event turned into a protest against government policy and public officials.

The event was held at Joglo GIK UGM in Sleman. It was attended by keynote speakers such as Poverty Alleviation Acceleration Agency (BP Taskin) head Budiman Sudjatmiko. Additionally, Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister Nusron Wahid and Deputy Agriculture Minister Sudaryono were also keynote speakers.

Dozens of students climbed on stage during the discussion. They unfurled banners reading “UGM Rejects Betrayers of Reform” and “UGM Rejects Regime Loyalists” and briefly disrupted the event.

The students said they held the protest because they felt that the discussion of the values of Pancasila did not reflect the realities they see in Indonesia today.

Participants questioned the relevance of discussing the nation’s founding ideology. In their view, the government had yet to adequately address a range of social and political issues. The UGM Student Union said this in a statement.

The protesters also demanded a direct dialogue with the invited speakers, especially Budiman Sudjatmiko, whom they called a “betrayer of the Reform movement.” During the demonstration, they confronted the officials over several government policies. Furthermore, they demanded that the officials take up the public issues.

The UGM Student Union released a statement, in which the protesters directly asked Nusron Wahid and Sudaryono if they felt responsible for the current conditions in Indonesia.

“Are you ashamed of the current condition of Indonesia? We asked Nusron Wahid and Sudaryono directly. They explicitly said they did not feel guilty,” the student organization said in a statement.

The protest continued outside the forum after it closed. Students repeatedly chanted, “Budiman, where is Budiman?” and “You said you wanted to talk” when they asked for more dialogue but couldn’t meet Budiman.

Nusron Wahid and Sudaryono later met some students near the southern gate of UGM to continue the discussion. However, both sides failed to reach a consensus and ended the dialogue without resolving their differences.

Authorities escorted the two government officials off campus while the students continued their demonstration.

Following the protest, the UGM Student Union stated that the demonstration aimed to defend the values of social justice, humanity, and people’s sovereignty. The group believes the government has not yet fully upheld these values.

The organization also stressed that the protest was a demonstration of the students’ commitment to promoting greater public accountability. Moreover, they called for substantive dialogue on national issues.

The protest underscored the continuing tensions between student activists and government officials over public policy and governance. Meanwhile, universities continued to serve as important spaces for civic engagement and political expression in Indonesia.

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