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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Crime & Justice

Yogyakarta Police Confirm Undercover Officer Questioned by Students

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Outcome reported
  • Yogyakarta police confirmed an undercover officer was questioned by students at Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta (UMY) after being cornered during a protest.
  • The officer was tasked with monitoring the demonstration and ensuring safety, with police stating the incident was a misunderstanding resolved amicably.
  • The protest, involving around 470 students from UMY and UIN Sunan Kalijaga, focused on national issues including policy demands, price reductions, and sector strengthening.

An undercover police officer was briefly detained and questioned by students at the Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta (UMY) during a protest on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. The Yogyakarta Regional Police confirmed the incident, stating the officer was a member of their intelligence unit tasked with monitoring the demonstration.

A video circulating on social media showed the officer surrounded by students, appearing visibly distressed. Senior Commissioner Ihsan, Head of Public Relations for the Yogyakarta Regional Police, explained that the officer's role was to ensure the safety of the demonstrators and monitor the situation. Ihsan described the confrontation as a misunderstanding that was resolved peacefully through communication with the university rectorate and student representatives.

Regarding the reports of a police intelligence operative being temporarily detained by students on the UMY campus, we can confirm that the officer is a member of the Yogyakarta Regional Police.

— Senior Commissioner IhsanHead of Public Relations for the Yogyakarta Regional Police, confirming the identity of the officer involved.

Police have been deploying personnel to student protest sites in Yogyakarta as part of their duty to protect the public's right to free speech. "The police are here to provide security so that the expression of aspirations can proceed safely and orderly, without disrupting public activities," Ihsan stated.

It has been resolved amicably through good communication and coordination with the university rectorate and the students.

— Senior Commissioner IhsanHead of Public Relations for the Yogyakarta Regional Police, describing the resolution of the incident.

The protest involved approximately 470 participants from various student coalitions, including the UMY Bergerak Alliance and students from UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. Demonstrators gathered at the Zero Kilometer milestone, voicing grievances over national issues and socioeconomic conditions. The UMY Bergerak Alliance presented demands including the scrapping of detrimental policies, lowering prices of fuel and basic goods, halting the criminalization of civil society, and improving education and healthcare sectors.

Students from UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta also presented their own demands, focusing on issues such as the cancellation of certain government programs. The rally lasted from 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., with speeches delivered from a makeshift stage.

The police are here to provide security so that the expression of aspirations can proceed safely and orderly, without disrupting public activities.

— Senior Commissioner IhsanHead of Public Relations for the Yogyakarta Regional Police, explaining the police presence at protests.
DistantNews Editorial

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

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