JAKARTA - Terror is systematically experienced by a number of influencers and activists ahead of the new year in a bad alarm for democracy.
A series of terror against activists and influencers emerged at the end of 2025. The terror is suspected to be related to criticism of the government in handling the Sumatra disaster that occurred in November 2025.
Those who received the terror included Greenpeace Indonesia activist Iqbal Damanik and several influencers, Ramon Dony Adam alias DJ Donny, Sherly Annavita Rahmi, and Chiki Fawzi.
Firdaus Cahyadi, Program Officer Natural Resources and Climate Justice Yayasan Tifa, believes that the intimidation occurred right after they voiced sharp criticism of the government's failure to deal with the ecological disaster of flooding on the island of Sumatra.
"The wave of systematic terror that befell environmental activists and public figures at the end of 2025 is a direct attack on democracy in Indonesia," said Firdaus in a statement to VOI.
The house of the Manager of the Climate and Energy Campaign of Greenpeace Indonesia, Iqbal Damanik, received a shipment of chicken carcasses on Tuesday (30/12/2025). The chicken carcasses were found on the porch of the house without any packaging.
At the foot of the chicken, a plastic bag containing a paper with a threatening message, with a capital letter, "JAGALAH UCAPANMU APABILA ANDA INGIN MENJAGA KELUARGAMU, MULUTMU HARIMAUMU".
Similar terror was experienced by an Aceh-based content creator, Sherly Annavita. He said that the terror in the form of threatening messages to his personal number and social media account occurred for days. But the peak occurred on the same day as that experienced by Iqbal.
In a post on his Instagram account, Sherly also showed vandalism in the form of red paint graffiti on a private car and a delivery of a bag of rotten eggs to his residence.
Meanwhile, through his social media, DJ Donny also reported that he received a chicken carcass and a message containing threats because of his content criticizing the handling of the Sumatra disaster.
"It's hard not to associate this shipment of dead chickens with an attempt to silence people who are actively criticizing the current Indonesian situation," said Head of Greenpeace Indonesia, Leonard Simanjuntak.
"There is a pattern of similarity that we observe so we assess that this is a terror that occurs systematically against people who have recently criticized the government regarding the handling of the Sumatra disaster," he said.
Violation of Freedom of ExpressionThe government's response in handling disasters in West Sumatra, North Sumatra, and Aceh has received widespread attention. The government did not issue a national disaster status even though the death toll was more than 1,000 people. President Prabowo Subianto also rejected foreign aid and insisted on being able to handle the crisis situation himself.
Previously, the Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Army General Maruli Simanjuntak issued a statement that the media should not report on government shortcomings. Meanwhile, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya asked for a focus on positive news and not to steer opinions as if the government was not working.
"If there are shortcomings, there must be many shortcomings. Please inform us of those shortcomings, do not expose them through the media," said General Maruli at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base, East Jakarta, Friday (19/12/2025).
On the same day, Teddy said, "Make wise statements and questions. Don't lead as if the government is not working, the officers in the field are not working. Here everyone needs cooperation, cohesiveness, positive energy."
The civil organization that advocates for digital rights, SAFEnet, found the same pattern in the events experienced by content creators and activists, namely attacking people who are critical enough to voice the situation in Sumatra.
Nenden Sekar Arum as the Director of SAFEnet said that this series of events indicates that there are parties who are uncomfortable with the content and statements made by the target of terror.
The series of terror against influencers and activists in December added to the long list of violations of freedom of expression and digital security recorded by SAFEnet. In the first three months of early 2025, 137 documented cases of attacks were recorded, 60 percent of which targeted activists.
This figure has doubled compared to the same period in 2024. During the second quarter of 2025, 168 cases of digital attack incidents were recorded. The increase in digital attack cases rose again in the following three-month period, July-September, with the number of cases reaching 299.
One of the cases that also became widespread news was the terror to Tempo's political desk journalist Francisca Christy Rosana. He received a package containing a pig's head that had both ears cut off. Two days later, someone threw a cardboard box containing six got rats with their necks cut off.
The terror shipment received harsh criticism for being considered a form of censorship of press freedom.
Spreading Fear in the Civil SocietyRegarding the terror received by activists and a number of influencers late last year, Firdaus Cahyadi believes it was behind the sharp criticism of the government's failure to deal with ecological flooding in Sumatra.
Given that similar incidents have occurred repeatedly, Firdaus considers the country as if it is letting the actions of thugs work to silence the truth about forest damage in Sumatra.
"This terror should not have happened if the state, in this case the government, could have dismantled the terror that befell the TEMPO media journalist earlier," he said.
Although the perpetrators are not necessarily from the government, Firdaus Cahyadi assumes that the recurring terror incidents against mass media and civil society elements are difficult to separate from the natural resource management policy (SDA) based on the securitization paradigm.
"In the securitization paradigm, the management of natural resources (such as land, food, and energy) is positioned as part of the national defense and security instruments," said Firdaus.
"When nature is managed with militaristic logic, then anyone who criticizes the government's agenda that damages nature will be considered a state enemy."
"The consequence is that any correction to the land and natural resources policy will be considered a threat to the stability and sovereignty of the country," Firdaus continued. This is what creates a kind of chilling effect, according to Firdaus. The chilling effect is a condition that makes civil society afraid to speak out because of the risk of personal security.
For this reason, Firdaus Cahyadi urged the National Police to immediately investigate the intellectual actors behind the terror to the civil society who are vocal in criticizing the government. According to him, the act of terror can become a bad precedent for freedom of expression.
Komnas HAM, according to Firdaus Cahyadi, must also immediately investigate the alleged systematic human rights violations against critics of the Prabowo Subianto government's policies.
"Democracy should not die because of the paradigm of securitization of natural resources," said Firdaus Cahyadi,
"In relation to this, all elements of society must continue to speak out and reject all forms of intimidation that threaten the future of the environment and our living space together," he concluded.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
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