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View all search resultsStop press harassment
While there is no direct attempt at censorship or closure of a media institution, press harassment can be regarded as a threat to undermine journalists, press organizations and press freedom.
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Journalists hold banners during a protest to commemorate World Press Freedom Day in Surabaya, East Java on May 2, 2025. The protest, organized by the Surabaya chapter of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI Surabaya) and other civic groups, condemned intimidation and violent acts against journalists. (Antara/Didik Suhartono)
I
n this age of surveillance, when nearly everything can be witnessed and recorded in real time, there should be little room left for manipulating truth.
Ideally, this should strengthen law enforcement and enhance public protection. But in reality, it has also enabled oppression by disapproving parties, including the government.
We lament the recent incident in which the Communications and Digital Ministry geographically restricted an Instagram post by online media outlet Magdalene featuring CCTV footage of the horrific attack on lawyer and human rights activist Andrie Yunus.
Andrie, a deputy coordinator of Kontras, is also a legal counsel and a witness in a critical judicial review challenging the latest amendment of the Indonesian Military (TNI) Law, which has become the legal basis for the ongoing expansion of military power in the country.
Two men on a motorcycle hurled acid at Andrie as they passed him on a street in Salemba, Central Jakarta. An independent probe by the Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD) has found that the attack was coordinated and involved 16 individuals, suggesting it may have been part of a military intelligence operation.
The Military Police Headquarters (Puspom TNI) has arrested four active military personnel assigned to the force’s Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) as suspects in the assault.
Although the communications ministry claimed that the social media restriction was due to human error and later restored the access, that does not change the fact that, once again, the government did not hesitate to flex its muscles in a way that threatens press freedom.
