Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – The Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Usman Hamid, said that a series of attacks on activists and social media influencers have a common motive. He stated that the attacks are aimed at silencing citizens who criticize the government's performance in handling ecological disasters in Sumatra.
"Acts of terror such as throwing rotten eggs, vandalism, as well as Molotov cocktail bombings and digital attacks are systematic efforts to create a climate of fear," Usman said in his statement on Thursday, January 1, 2026.
He considered the series of attacks on civilians to be more than just ordinary criminal cases. Terror and threats are considered violations of citizens' constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech.
"Criticism that arises from the solidarity of humanity and the spirit of improvement is responded to with physical and digital intimidation," said Usman.
The activist, who was involved in the 1998 movement, said that the state has not shown legal credibility in investigating the series of terror incidents experienced by activists and influencers. As a result, certain individuals dare to carry out terror attacks, whether digital or physical, without fear of the law. "If terror passes without investigation, the state indirectly condones anti-criticism practices," he said.
Previously, activists and several influencers received terror threats at the end of the year. For example, DJ Donny from Aceh admitted to receiving a package containing a chicken carcass and a threatening letter. His house was also targeted with a Molotov cocktail thrown by unknown individuals.
In addition to Donny, an influencer from Aceh named Sherly Annavita claimed to have received a bag of rotten eggs and experienced vandalism on her car. Moreover, the Campaign Manager for Climate and Energy at Greenpeace Indonesia, Iqbal Damanik, was sent a chicken carcass along with a threatening message.
Terror against Iqbal is suspected to be related to his work at Greenpeace, especially regarding his criticisms of the government's handling of the Sumatra disaster.
Terror also occurred in the virtual world. Content creator Virdian Aurellio faced digital attacks after regularly posting about the post-disaster situation in Aceh. His brother's WhatsApp account was allegedly hacked and used to send pornographic content to several groups.
Furthermore, there were attempts to take over other family members' accounts and discredit Virdian's reputation by sending messages from an unknown number to his relatives. The digital attacks also targeted an actor named Yama Carlos.
He claimed to have been terrorized after posting a satirical video about the situation in Sumatra. The forms of intimidation included threatening WhatsApp messages, orders to delete content, and fictitious Cash on Delivery (COD) packages sent to his address.
The Minister for Human Rights, Natalius Pigai, claimed to be unaware of any terror threatening the citizens' security. "I myself don't know. So, how can I believe they are being terrorized? By whom? For what reason?" he said in a brief message on Wednesday, December 31, 2025.
– Hendrik Yaputra contributed to this article
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2077424/terrorizing-critics-seen-as-systematic-effort-to-create-fea