Nicholas Ryan Aditya, Robertus Belarminus, Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) has condemned whoever it was who sent a terror package containing a pig's head to the Tempo offices in Jakarta.
This, according to the YLBHI, this increasingly shows that Indonesia is not a democratic country based on the rule of law and does not guarantee freedom of the press.
"The YLBHI strongly condemns the act of terror of sending a pig's head and other attempts to silence Tempo and its journalistic works", said the YLBHI in a press statement on Thursday March 20.
The YLBHI said that this was not the first time that attacks and violence against the press had occurred.
So far, the government and security forces have also been seen as slow in responding to attacks and violence against the press. Moreover, they give the impression of not being serious.
"In the last five years, the violence has also become increasingly brutal everywhere. Along with the performance of the government and the DPR [House of Representatives] which is increasingly reckless and tyrannical in formulating policies", said the YLBHI.
The YLBHI is urging the government and the National Police to act quickly to uncover and bring the perpetrators or masterminds behind this terror to justice.
The YLBHI hopes that Tempo and all Indonesian press personnel will continue to be given strength and be steadfastness in carrying out their duties to convey information as openly and clearly as possible to the public.
The Tempo office in Jakarta received the package containing a pig's head with both ears cut off on Wednesday March 19.
Tempo deputy editor-in-chief Bagja Hidayat explained that when it was opened, the pig's head, which was wrapped in cardboard, styrofoam and plastic, gave off a foul odour.
"So it was a cardboard box, inside it there was styrofoam, inside it wrapped in plastic again was the head (of a pig)", said Hidayat when contacted on Thursday.
The pig's head was addressed to Tempo journalist Francisca Christy alias Cica. There was no letter containing written threats against the female journalist.
"There was no (threatening letter). So its ears were cut off, just the name Cica was written", he said.
In following up on this, Hidayat said that they had implemented a security standard operating procedure for Cica.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "YLBHI Sebut Teror Paket Kepala Babi kepada Tempo Upaya Pembungkaman Kebebasan Pers".]
