Tiyo Ardianto reported threats and a digital slander campaign after criticizing the MBG program

Thekabarnews.com—A chair of the UGM BEM says he got threats and a digital slander campaign after speaking out against the MBG program.

Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Student Executive Board (BEM) Chair Tiyo Ardianto said that many people had threatened him and his family. This made the criticism of Indonesia’s free meals program (MBG) even worse.

On February 17, Tiyo talked to the Indonesian media at a KIKA event. He said that “coordinated digital attacks” began right after BEM UGM publicly criticized the government of Prabowo and Gibran. The group said things like “President Bodoh” were examples of “systemic incompetence in governance.”

Tiyo says that on February 9, unknown numbers—many using the UK country code (+44)—started sending him threatening messages. Sources report that the unknown senders called him a foreign spy and threatened to take him away.

“The tone was threatening and wrong from the start,” Tiyo said.

Tiyo also spoke about what he believed was an attempt on his life. They said he was taking money from students and put up pictures that made him look awful. Some posts incorrectly associated him with negative behavior and utilized artificial intelligence-generated fake images.

Anonymous accounts sent Tiyo’s mother messages claiming that her son had stolen money in his role as UGM BEM Chair. This made things worse. Tiyo said his mother was a simple woman from the village who didn’t know much about politics in the country.

He said that was the hardest part, to show how difficult things were for his family.

Tiyo clarified that he didn’t aim to offend Prabowo Subianto with the phrase “President Bodoh.” He didn’t want to attack the people in charge; he wanted to attack what he called a “bad power structure” that doesn’t care about good government or scientific evidence. 

“We aren’t going after someone’s intelligence; we are going after the system,” he said.

The case has intensified discussions in Indonesia about the extent of free speech in politics and university. Academics and civil society groups warn that threatening students could violate constitutional protections of free speech.