UGM Ex-Student Leader Finds Tracker in Car After Protest

Tiyo Ardianto, the former chairman of the Gadjah Mada University Student Executive Body (BEM UGM), discovered a tracking device in his car shortly after participating in a protest in Yogyakarta on June 13, 2026. Ardianto, who had been using a relative's car for transportation, received a notification on his phone indicating the presence of a PBX Finder device moving with him. He located the device attached to the underside of the car.

Following the discovery, Ardianto's associates advised him to submerge the device in water. He expressed uncertainty about who planted the tracker but suspected he was being monitored by unknown individuals. Ardianto, a philosophy student, deemed the alleged surveillance unusual and criticized what he described as the current administration's methods of intimidating citizens who voice criticism against government policies.

Ardianto also revealed that other members of BEM UGM had been receiving disturbing messages from an unknown sender since June 13, with approximately 30 such messages reported. He lamented the use of intimidation and terror to silence critical voices, emphasizing that such criticism is intended for national improvement and stems from genuine patriotism. He likened the situation to offering medicine to a sick government, only to be met with attempts to poison the critic.

"How dangerous it is to be an Indonesian who loves their country," Ardianto stated. "We offer medicine for its illnesses, but it tries to poison us instead." He believes that the government's response to constructive criticism is counterproductive and harmful to the nation's progress.