KUALA LUMPUR – Indonesian police have launched an investigation into a series of threats against Tempo magazine after a pig’s head and a box of decapitated rats were sent to its office, in what press freedom advocates have condemned as an act of intimidation.
According to Tempo, the first package, containing a pig’s head with both ears severed, was addressed to Francisca Christy Rosana, known as Cica, a political journalist and host of Tempo’s Bocor Alus Politik podcast.
It arrived at the office on March 19, but Cica only received it the following day after returning from an assignment. Upon opening the box, a strong odour emanated from it, and the head was still bloody, according to her colleague Hussein Abri Yusuf Muda Dongoran.
On March 22, a second package containing six decapitated rats was discovered by a cleaner at the Tempo office at approximately 8am local time.
Tempo editor-in-chief Setri Yasra condemned the acts as an attempt to intimidate journalists but asserted that the publication remained undeterred. “If the intention is to scare, we are not deterred, but stop this cowardly act,” Setri said in a statement.
The threats were promptly reported to the Indonesian National Police. Police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo confirmed that he had instructed the criminal investigation chief to conduct a full inquiry into the matter, Bernama reported.
The Indonesian Press Council, the Committee for Journalist Safety (KKJ), and press freedom advocates swiftly condemned the threats, labelling them as intimidation aimed at silencing critical reporting.
KKJ Coordinator Erick Tanjung stressed that obstructing journalistic work is a criminal act under Indonesian law.
“We see the sending of the pig’s head as a symbol of a murder threat,” he said, citing Article 336 of the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of two years and eight months in prison.
Tempo deputy editor-in-chief, Bagja Hidayat, echoed these concerns, stating that the incident was a direct attack on press freedom.
“This is a terror against journalistic work and press freedom as a whole,” he said. He confirmed that Cica was safe and had been provided protection, according to the outlet.
The threats drew further outrage after Presidential Communications Office Head Hasan Nasbi made a dismissive remark, telling reporters that the magazine should “just cook” the pig’s head, according to Indonesian media reports.
Following backlash, Hasan later clarified to Kompas that press freedom must be upheld and such acts should be taken “seriously.” However, his initial response sparked calls from civil society groups for his removal.
Al Araf, a representative of the Civil Society Coalition, criticised Hasan’s statement as arrogant and a violation of press freedom.
“This statement is not only lacking in empathy but also undermines democracy,” Al Araf said in a statement reported by Tempo.
According to Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid, the threats pose a growing danger to journalists in the country.
“There is a risk that being a journalist in Indonesia would become like a death sentence,” he told AFP.
Ni Made Anggita Sastri Mahadewi, a sociology lecturer at Udayana University, characterised the threats as a form of coercive social control.
“The pig’s head is a psychological threat, a method used by those who wish to intimidate but lack other means,” she told Tempo.
Tempo, an Indonesian investigative magazine has been vocal about its scrutiny of President Prabowo Subianto’s policies, including recent budget cuts that sparked public protests. The publication, which has a history of government crackdowns dating back to the Suharto era, reported receiving the disturbing packages last week.
The magazine has faced government bans in the past, notably in 1982 and 1994, due to its critical reporting during President Suharto’s regime.
A recent Journalist Safety Index compiled by the TIFA Foundation and the Indonesian Media Development Association (PPMN) revealed that 24% of journalists in Indonesia had experienced terror and intimidation, while 23% received direct threats.
The Indonesian Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid reiterated the government’s commitment to press freedom.
“As a former journalist, I deeply regret any threats to press freedom. We fully support this case being investigated and legally processed by the police,” she said, as reported by Bernama
The investigation into the threats is ongoing, and authorities have yet to determine the perpetrators behind the incidents. – March 23, 2025