Digital Terror At UGM Discussions That Can No Longer Be Ignored

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The discussion plan for students of the Faculty of Law, Gadjah Mada University (UGM) with the theme "The Issue of the President's Dismissal in terms of the State Administration System" was canceled due to terror attacks in the form of intimidation and death threats.

UI Counterterrorism Researcher Ridlwan Habib assessed that terror in the form of threats and intimidation via telephone numbers to organizers and resource persons of the UGM Faculty of Law discussion can no longer be ignored.

Ridlwan urged the police to investigate this case. Given, terrorists can easily get phone numbers and carry out terror through digital without knowing their identities.

"Proof of terror is very important so that the public is not anxious. Polri also needs to examine the committee's witnesses, lecturers and all parties involved. Police must examine their cell phones to trace the traces of terrorists," Ridlwan said when contacted by VOI, Sunday, May 31.

According to Ridlwan, the police's IT equipment is sophisticated enough to trace who is the perpetrator of terror. If the committee's cell phone is given and checked immediately, the perpetrator can be arrested more quickly.

In addition, the National Police is obliged to protect the security of witnesses. If later the perpetrator has been arrested, it must be announced publicly. "So it is clear what the motive is behind the terror," he said.

Chronology of Bullying

Dean of the Faculty of Law, Sigit Riyanto, explained the chronology of the discussion of the Constitutional Law Society (CLS) student organization which is planned to be held on May 29, 2020.

Initially, posters of a discussion event held at the initiative of UGM Faculty of Law students went viral on social media. There are those who consider this virtual discussion program to be treasonous.

Then, on May 28, the students who carried out the activity changed the title on the poster, as well as uploaded the poster with the title that had been changed to "Straightening the Issue of Dismissing the President in terms of the State Administration System". They also accompanied the apology and clarified the purpose and purpose of the activity.

That night, terror and threats began to arrive at the names listed on the activity posters, namely speakers, moderators, and discussion points.

"Various terror and threats were experienced by the speaker, moderator, contact person, and then the head of the CLS community, starting from sending online motorcycle taxi orders to the residence, death threat texts, telephone calls, to several people coming to their residence," said Sigit in a written statement. .

These terror and threats continued until May 29, 2020. The target of the threats spread to the family members concerned, in the form of sending text messages to the parents of two implementing students.

"Hello sir. Tell him to his son, he will be subject to the article for treason. If you really say a little, you can educate the child, sir !!! I'm from the Muhammadiyah Klaten mass organization. Tell the child, tell him to come to the Sleman Police. Do you want to be picked up? Or what? I will kill all of your family if you can't tell your child, "said Sigit, imitating the sound of threats.

Apart from terror by telephone numbers, CLS social media accounts were also hacked. The hackers used the account to declare a discussion canceled, as well as exclude all participants who had entered into the virtual discussion. For security reasons, on the afternoon of May 29, the organizer of the event decided to cancel the discussion.

Mahfud MD Doesn't Matter

The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD did not question UGM Faculty of Law students holding the virtual discussion event. "For the website itself, in my opinion it is okay, it does not need to be prohibited," said Mahfud.

Regarding the content of the discussion, Mahfud admitted that he personally knew the source of the CLS discussion, Nikmatul Huda. Therefore, Mahfud considered the discussion in the discussion unlikely to lead to the impeachment of President Jokowi.

"I know the person is not subversive. So, it is impossible to lead to unconstitutional impeachment. He must speak based on the constitution," he said.

Therefore, Mahfud asked the organizers and sources who were terrorized to report to the local police. "Those who are terrorized need to report to the authorities and the apparatus is obliged to investigate who the perpetrators are," he concluded.