Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – Several student journalists from Pers Suara Mahasiswa (SUMA) at the University of Indonesia (UI) were reportedly being harassed by unidentified individuals after covering student protests on Friday, June 12, 2026.
The incident occurred amidst a series of intimidation and digital attacks they have been receiving since publishing an opinion piece titled "Testing the Human Rights Principle in Pride Month" on June 10, 2026.
The Autonomous Body of Pers Suara Mahasiswa UI stated that in recent days, various forms of violence and intimidation, both in digital space and everyday life, have become increasingly massive. The attacks include the dissemination of personal data or doxing, including home addresses and personal phone numbers.
"Repeated threatening and intimidating calls and messages, verbal harassment, hate speech, and stalking attempts on Suma UI journalists while carrying out their coverage duties," said the Autonomous Body of Persma UI in a press release on Monday, June 15, 2026.
The harassment was reported to have occurred after they covered the movement titled #TowardsIndonesiaBankruptcy on June 12, 2026. At that time, the home of the Suma UI journalist was also visited by an unknown individual standing around their residence at 10:00 PM Western Indonesia Time. The perpetrator of the harassment was described as a man in a blue shirt and shorts. "The incident has caused real fear and concern for the safety of the journalists and their families," they added.
Amidst the series of terror, this Student Press Agency also faced pressure from the university to take down the publication titled "Testing the Human Rights Principle in Pride Month," which has recently sparked controversy. In the Pride Month post, the editorial team highlighted discrimination and persecution faced by some LGBTQ+ communities in Indonesia, including within the campus environment.
SUMA UI detailed that on June 13, 2026, the University's Student Organization Office (KOK) contacted one of Suma UI's executives and requested the removal of the publication. The request was made based on the university leadership's directive, which had received various protests regarding the post.
Two days later, on June 15, 2026, the General Manager and Editor-in-Chief of Suma UI were asked to attend a meeting with the university involving KOK UI, the Directorate of Risk Management, Cultural Transformation, and Governance, the Public Relations Directorate, and several other parties. In the meeting, the university once again demanded the removal of the publication for the safety and reputation of the UI institution.
After considering this, Suma UI decided to take down the publication. However, the press organization stated that this decision was made solely to mitigate risks in ensuring the safety of the editorial staff who have become targets of attacks. "Suma UI emphasizes that this decision does not imply recognition of the legitimacy of intimidation or justification for persecution practices," they said.
For Suma UI, the products they publish do not represent the views of the campus, but are part of student journalistic activities and academic freedom as well as press freedom guaranteed in various regulations, including the Memorandum of Understanding between the Press Council and the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education No. 1955/E2/HM.00.05/2024 concerning Strengthening and Protecting Student Journalism Activities in the University Environment.
The University of Indonesia has not responded when asked for comments on the various intimidations, digital attacks, and harassment experienced by its students. However, in relation to the controversy of SUMA UI's Pride Month post, University of Indonesia's Director of Public Relations, Media, Government, and International Erwin Agustian Panigoro has explained that the content of the post is purely the editorial standpoint of the relevant student organization.
Ui, Erwin said, respects the freedom of expression as part of a democratic academic life. However, every opinion needs to be delivered in a polite, non-provocative manner, and in accordance with academic ethics. "Freedom of expression must always be accompanied by social responsibility so that differences in views do not trigger polarization or division within society," Erwin said on Monday, June 15, 2026.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2108870/ui-student-journalists-report-harassment-after-protest-coverag