TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A group of professors, academics, and faculty members from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) has stated that the bilateral cooperation agreement between the United States and Indonesia, known as the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART), is detrimental and threatens national sovereignty. The declaration was made during UGM's public stance on the ART agreement held at Balairung UGM, Yogyakarta, on Monday, March 2, 2026.
The Chair of the UGM Council of Professors, M. Baiquni, asserted that the trade deal violates Article 11 of the 1945 Constitution and Constitutional Court Decision Number 13/PUUXVI/2018. The ratification process of the agreement was reportedly not based on consultations involving the People's Consultative Assembly.
Baiquni noted that the content of the ART agreement is asymmetric, with the United States obtaining the greatest benefits while Indonesia bears the majority of the costs due to numerous obligations burdening the Indonesian government and its people.
Consequently, UGM has requested all policymakers to reconsider the content of the agreement. "Specifically, we also ask the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to assist the government in making corrections and not placing the President in a position that violates the constitution and laws," Baiquni said while delivering the statement, as quoted from the UGM website on Monday.
In addition, UGM emphasized that this trade agreement entails obligations for the government to amend dozens of laws, Government Regulations, Presidential Decrees, Ministerial Regulations, and various other statutes. UGM mentioned that significant resources are required to draft these new regulations. "Another consequence of ART is the creation of an economic burden in both the short and long term," said Baiquni.
In their statement, UGM academics also claimed that various clauses in the ART agreement pose a risk to Indonesia's sovereignty as a nation that has maintained an active and independent foreign policy since its independence. The content of the ART agreement is considered to contain obligations for compliance with future US policies.
Based on these concerns, UGM requested the government to renegotiate, postpone, or cancel the implementation of the trade deal. "UGM academics are ready to support all efforts to strengthen and affirm Indonesia's sovereignty in various fields and aspects of life," said Baiquni.
Furthermore, Baiquni added that UGM invites academics from various universities to conduct multidisciplinary studies on the impact of ART on Indonesia's economy and sovereignty.
The Vice Rector for Education and Teaching, Wening Udasmoro, emphasized that this critical academic stance by UGM members is purely academic and serves no other interest. She stated that this academic statement will be followed up with scientific study forums to be later presented to the government.
Read: Indonesia Says 1,000-Ton Rice Imports from U.S. Limited to Specialty Varieties
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