Tempo, a weekly magazine known for its robust reporting and investigations into Indonesia's most powerful institutions, has recently received various threats, including bomb scares, doxing, and telephone hijacking. These incidents suggest that the magazine is facing increasing pressure due to its independent investigative reporting.
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03-31, 2025Last week, Tempo received a package containing a severed pig's head with its ear cut off. The package was sent anonymously to political reporter Francisca Christy Rosana, whose contact details were also posted online along with threatening messages. Subsequently, a cleaner found a box containing six decapitated rats at Tempo's Jakarta office. These shocking events have garnered widespread public attention.
Deputy Chief Editor of Tempo, Bagja Hidayat, described the attacks as "a new form of terror" against civil society and the media. He told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), "I think this intimidation is more serious than previous threats. How can someone try to instill fear by killing living things? This not only shows cowardice but a complete lack of ethics." Hidayat's remarks underscore the gravity of the incidents and the potential impact on press freedom.
Indonesian police launched a preliminary investigation on Monday, after press freedom groups accused authorities of not taking such incidents seriously enough. When asked to respond to last week's events, President Prabowo Subianto's spokesperson, Hasan Nasbi, said that journalists should "just boil" the pig's head. Nasbi later clarified his statement, claiming that the government's commitment to press freedom "has not changed." However, this initial response has raised questions about the government's attitude.
Tempo has published critical reports on Subianto's government, including controversial public service budget cuts and legislative amendments allowing the military greater involvement in civilian affairs, which have sparked nationwide protests. Hidayat said that Rosana, the reporter who received the animal corpses, remained "traumatized" a week after the incidents. "Her mother's WhatsApp was also hacked by an unknown person," he said. "This is a multi-layered attack. Of course, Cika (Rosana) is very worried, especially now that it's affecting people other than herself." These details reveal the extent of the threats and their impact on the victims.
Bayu Wardhana, secretary-general of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), said that the incidents could also have a "chilling effect" on other journalists across the country. He said this was especially the case if they did not have the support of their newsrooms. "After this incident, there will be journalists who are more courageous to tell stories, but there will also be those who may reconsider what they want to write," the veteran journalist said. "This terror will exacerbate the fears of journalists who are already threatened." Wardhana added that attacks and threats against Indonesian media outlets often lead to "dead ends" or are never fully resolved, and that police and other law enforcement reforms are needed to address the problem.
Anita Wahid, a PhD scholar at the Australian National University researching political disinformation, said that the threats against Tempo also reflect the growing dangers faced by journalists in Indonesia, aimed at promoting self-censorship. "Why would they suppress the biggest news media, the most trusted media?" she said. "The message is very clear – whoever sent it wants Tempo to be silent and stop criticizing the government." Wahid's analysis underscores the political motivations behind the threats.
For retired civil servant Maria Catarina Sumarsih, the attacks were reminiscent of tactics used by the Suharto "New Order" government to suppress "those who speak the truth." Sumarsih's son, Wawan, was shot dead in late 1998 while helping an injured student during a violent crackdown on protesters calling for an end to Suharto's rule. Since 2007, she has protested every Thursday afternoon outside the Indonesian presidential palace to demand justice for her son. "Even if the authorities claim this is not an act of terror, for us victims of human rights violations, sending a pig's head and (decapitated) rats to Tempo is exactly the kind of intimidation that was used during the New Order era," she said. Sumarsih's experience connects the current threats to historical oppression.
In 1994, Tempo was banned by the regime of the late dictator Suharto (Subianto's father-in-law) after publishing a critical investigation into the purchase of second-hand East German warships. Last week, Sumarsih and other members of civil society visited Tempo's offices to encourage Rosana and present her with a bouquet of white roses. "Journalists are at the forefront of our struggle for justice," she said. "Whatever we do, if it is not reported by journalists, it is meaningless." Sumarsih's support underscores the vital role of journalism in the fight for justice.
Hidayat said he hoped police would quickly identify those behind the threats against Tempo. "I don't think it's difficult to find the perpetrators," he said. "The package was sent via a delivery application, there is a pick-up point, the sender's identity should be recorded. It should be a simple case for the police. If law enforcement takes decisive action, it will act as a deterrent to anyone considering similar intimidation in the future." Hidayat called for swift action to hold the perpetrators accountable and prevent future attacks.
The Alliance of Independent Journalists Indonesia has recorded more than 1,000 cases of violence against media workers since 2006. Tempo's offices have previously been targeted, including a Molotov cocktail attack in 2010 following the publication of a major investigation into police corruption. During Indonesia's National Press Day celebrations last month, Subianto warned against "fake news" and ordered journalists to "contribute to national development." Indonesia's National Human Rights Commission also announced on Monday that it would launch an investigation. These developments indicate that press freedom faces ongoing challenges.
Beh Lih Yi, Asia program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said that sending a pig's head was "a dangerous and calculated act of intimidation." "Tempo has a long and well-deserved international reputation for fiercely independent reporting; using this playbook from dictators elsewhere simply won't work," she said. "If President Prabowo Subianto wants Indonesia to be taken seriously as the world's third-largest democracy, he must uphold press freedom and condemn this deeply provocative act." Beh Lih Yi's statement calls for strong action to protect press freedom and condemn threats against the media.
