Condemnation of the Molotov bomb attack on the editorial offices of Tempo magazine in Central Jakarta has been swift.

Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) chairman Nezar Patria said that if the attack was related to Tempo's latest edition detailing the suspiciously "fat" bank accounts of six police generals, then "it would be an attack on press freedom."

Nezar, a former Tempo journalist, encouraged the police to solve the crime and uncover the motive for the attack, which caused only minor damage. "It's the police's job to discover the motive – don't let it become an attempt to intimidate Tempo," he said.

Agus Sudibyo, a member of the Press Council, labeled the attack as an act of thuggery. "The attack happened long after Indonesia has entered the era of democracy and freedom where violence against the media shouldn't have happened," Agus told Detik.com.

He said he did not believe police were involved, saying that both parties had agreed to compromise to end their dispute. "Let's not make any assumptions until the investigation has borne results."

The Muslim Student Association (HMI) described the attack as a terror attack, the same description applied by Tempo magazine. "Terror attacks with Molotov cocktail bombs are anarchic and uncivilized. It threatens the freedom of the press in Indonesia," HMI chairman Chozin Amirullah said in a press release.

HMI expressed their support for Tempo and urged the police to conduct a thorough investigation as soon as possible. "This is a country of laws; this is not the country of thugs where people can practice violence, intimidation and threats," he said.