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Ex-UGM BEM Chair Won't Report Car Trackers, Cites Democracy Alarm
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Elections & Politics

Ex-UGM BEM Chair Won't Report Car Trackers, Cites Democracy Alarm

From CNN Indonesia · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Former UGM BEM chair Tiyo Ardianto decided not to report the discovery of two tracking devices in his car to the police.
  • Tiyo believes the trackers were installed to send a clear message that he is being monitored wherever he goes.
  • He views the incident as an alarm for democracy, suggesting that those who care about the nation are under threat.

Former UGM BEM chair Tiyo Ardianto has decided against filing a police report regarding the discovery of two tracking devices found in his car. Tiyo explained that reporting the incident would involve too many other issues he has encountered during his travels across various regions, making it an overwhelming task.

I think if I have to report to the police, there are too many things I have to report. In many places, when I travel to the regions, the experiences are varied. If I have to report them, there are too many.

— Tiyo ArdiantoExplaining his decision not to report the trackers to the police.

He perceives the trackers as having been installed in a way that makes their presence obvious to the target, conveying a clear message: "Wherever I go, I will always be tracked." Tiyo is unwilling to expend energy investigating who is behind this, suggesting it could be "power" or individuals seeking to create conflict between him and the authorities.

The message is clear. Wherever I go, I will always be tracked.

— Tiyo ArdiantoInterpreting the purpose of the installed tracking devices.

"I am personally ignoring all of this," Tiyo stated. "The important thing is that the public knows this event happened, and it serves as an alarm for democracy, that those who care about the nation are shadowed by danger." He believes the incident is a warning sign for democratic freedoms.

I don't want to be busy looking for who did this. It could be done by power, or it could be done by those who want to pit me against power.

— Tiyo ArdiantoExpressing his unwillingness to investigate the perpetrators.

Previously, Tiyo revealed finding the two tracking devices in mid-June 2026. He shared this on his personal Instagram account after receiving notifications from a tracking device finder app, PBX Finder, while traveling from Semarang to Yogyakarta. He had noticed individuals following and photographing him openly during a discussion in Semarang on June 13, which he considered a sign he was being watched. Upon arriving in Yogyakarta, his phone alerted him to a moving tracker. After the event, he found a magnetic box-shaped device attached to the rear of his car. The next day, while returning to Semarang, another notification appeared. A second device, a flat circular object attached with black tape to the rear right tire, was discovered.

I am personally ignoring all of this, the important thing is that the public knows this event happened and it serves as an alarm for democracy, that those who care about the nation are shadowed by danger.

— Tiyo ArdiantoStating his personal stance and the broader implications of the incident.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CNN Indonesia in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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