Why Student Boards Are Denying Links to 'BEM Bersatu'

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Several student executive boards (BEM) from various campuses have hit back at the sudden emergence of an alliance calling itself "BEM Bersatu" (BEM United). The alliance recently went public, alleging political strings behind the actions of the former chairperson of the Gadjah Mada University Student Executive Board, Tiyo Ardianto.

BEM United consists of students who claim to represent the student executive boards of multiple universities. Among them are Wildan Ricky as chairperson of the Law Faculty BEM at Unisia, Muhammad Yani from the Law Faculty of UIJ, Ardi Zulkifly as chairperson of the FISIP BEM at Unas (National University), Ardiansyah as chairperson of the BEM at Al-Aqidah Institute, Ahmad Ghazy from the Psychology BEM at UNJ, and Alfi as chairperson of the FEB BEM at Unpam.

The group also listed individuals claiming to be the chairperson of the UIC Law BEM, Rahmat Djimbula; Dicky from the FIPS BEM at Unindra; Ahmad from the Faculty of Engineering and Informatics BEM at Bina Sarana Informatika University; and Rezky Anandar from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Management Administration BEM at the STIAMI Institute.

Accusations Linking Student Actions to PDI-P

In their declaration, BEM United alleged that the vehicle used by Tiyo was registered under the name of Siti Nuraini, the sister of Lieutenant General (Ret.) Setyo Sularso. The retired general is noted to be the father-in-law of Lieutenant General (Ret.) Andika Perkasa, a cadre of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) who also served on Ganjar Pranowo’s campaign team during the 2024 Presidential Election.

The BEM United alliance further highlighted the upcoming National Unity Dialogue forum, scheduled to take place at a hotel in Bandung on Thursday, June 18, 2026. The forum is reportedly set to be attended by Tiyo Ardianto, Setyo Sularso, and several other public figures.

Student Boards Denials and Identity Hijacking Claims

However, the Faculty of Engineering and Informatics BEM at Bina Sarana Informatika University quickly clarified that they had never participated in or sent representatives to the alliance. The student board stated that they have no committee, members, or chairperson named Ahmad, contrary to BEM United's claims.

"BEM FTI UBSI has never granted a mandate to anyone to represent the organization in this activity," the board clarified via their official Instagram account, @bemftiubsi, on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.

Similarly, the Faculty of Psychology BEM at UNJ denied sending any representative named Ahmad Ghazy to join the alliance. They stated that their organization's institutional identity had been hijacked, labeling the move a violation of ethics.

According to BEM FPSI UNJ, Ahmad Ghazy is an alumnus from the class of 2020 and holds no position in this year's membership or management. "The actions or views expressed are the personal responsibility of the individual," the board announced on their Instagram account, @bemfpsiunj.

Another rebuttal came from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Unas regarding the alleged involvement of Ardy Zulkifly, who had claimed to be the head of the organization. In an official statement, the faculty clarified that they do not even possess a faculty-level Student Executive Board.

FISIP Unas emphasized that Ardy Zulkifly's presence within the BEM United alliance is a personal affair. "[He] lacks the institutional capacity to represent National University's FISIP under the title mentioned," their statement read.

How Tiyo Ardianto and PDI-P Respond to the Allegations

Responding to the heavy accusations levied by the BEM United alliance, Tiyo Ardianto chose to keep his focus on the broader student movement monitoring government policies. He declined to comment on issues he deemed to be purely personal attacks.

PDI-P spokesperson Guntur Romli also firmly dismissed the allegations. He pointed out that Siti Nuraini and Setyo Sularso, whose names were dragged into the car ownership rumor, are neither members nor officials of the party.

"Connecting the ownership of a civilian vehicle, linking it to a family relationship, and then tracing that to a father-in-law to leap to the conclusion that PDI-P is behind this student movement is a clear fallacy in logic," Guntur stated on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.

He maintained that the party led by Megawati Soekarnoputri has absolutely no connection to the resistance surrounding the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) project. "It is baseless, absurd, and damages the moral integrity of the student movement," Guntur added.

Furthermore, he clarified that the planned dialogue forum featuring Tiyo Ardianto and Setyo Sularso is not an event organized by PDI-P. Guntur argued that the attendance of individuals at a dialogue forum is a constitutional right of any citizen and cannot be weaponized as proof of political party mobilization within student circles.

According to Guntur, the claims made by the BEM United alliance, which insinuated that the student movement has been hijacked by political parties, are an insult to the independent, critical thinking of the youth. "Students move out of conscience and a critical analysis of state policies that impact public life," he concluded.

Read: List of Terror Against Ex-UGM Student Chair Tiyo Ardianto

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