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View all search resultsFreedom of expression under threat as more activists face intimidation
Authorities are looking the other way amid increasing intimidation targeting activists and social media influencers who criticized the government and how it handles the devastating floods in northern Sumatra.
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An illustration of restricting freedom of speech. (Shutterstock/siam.pukkato)
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uthorities are looking the other way amid increasing intimidation targeting activists and social media influencers who criticized the government.
Over the past week, fears over the worsening decline of freedom of expression have surged following intimidation incidents targeting vocal critics of the government's slow response to the deadly floods and landslides that hit three Sumatran provinces in late November.
On Dec. 30, 2025, Greenpeace Indonesia activist Iqbal Damanik received an unwrapped chicken carcass left on his house’s terrace accompanied by a handwritten note that read: “Watch your words if you want to protect your family”. Iqbal has previously criticized the government’s sluggish disaster response.
On the same day, Sherly Annavita, a social media influencer from Aceh with over two million followers on Instagram, reportedly received numerous online threats. She also found her car was vandalized with graffiti by unknown individuals. The intimidation reportedly occurred after Sherly shared on her social media the harrowing scale of disasters impacting Aceh, the worst-hit province, which the government has repeatedly insisted is under control.
A more recent incident occurred on Saturday, targeting Zainal Arifin Mochtar, a scholar and pro-democracy activist from Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University (UGM). He was reportedly threatened over the phone by an anonymous caller claiming affiliation with the Yogyakarta Police and demanding his presence at the police station or risk arrest.
Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai refuted allegations that the government was behind the intimidation, suggesting that the police thoroughly investigate the reported attacks.
“We currently enjoy a surplus of democracy, meaning that the right to express thoughts and feelings is guaranteed without any regulatory constraints. In this situation, it’s impossible for institutions, let alone the state, to obstruct such freedoms,” Pigai told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
