Student group's alleged payment after meeting VP is 'power intervention,' says rights group

The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) has voiced strong criticism over alleged payments made to the Student Executive Body (BEM) of Bung Karno University (UBK) following a meeting with Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka. YLBHI deems this a "power intervention" that threatens the independence of student movements and their ability to offer public criticism.

Muhamad Isnur, Chairman of YLBHI, stated that the issue transcends mere financial transactions, pointing to an alleged use of power to manage, obscure, or weaken public critique from student groups. "The alleged provision of funds to BEM UBK students after the meeting with Gibran is a form of power intervention that potentially delegitimizes the student movement," Isnur said.

Isnur emphasized that student movements historically derive their moral authority from political awareness and a commitment to public interest, not from power patronage or material exchanges. He condemned any incentives used to mask political realities, characterizing such actions as "manufacturing public opinion" to create an artificial sense of organic support for the authorities. This, he argued, distorts the public discourse, turning marginal voices into accepted consensus.

YLBHI drew parallels to the New Order era, where campus depoliticization was enforced through policies like NKK/BKK. Isnur warned that when student movements become financially incentivized, it signifies not just an ethical crisis but a depoliticization of critique. This process weakens social control mechanisms as critical voices are absorbed into power structures, shifting democracy from a contest of ideas to a "perception management" game.

Viral social media clips show the Chairman of BEM FH UBK, Muhammad Abdimaludin, admitting to receiving millions of rupiah to prevent his group from demonstrating. The students had previously held a rally titled "Tata Ulang Indonesia" (Restructuring Indonesia) on June 15, 2026, which involved a confrontation with police. Following the protest, 15 student representatives met with Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.