Jakarta. Nearly a quarter of Indonesian journalists have faced terror and intimidation, according to the 2024 Journalist Safety Index. The latest case involves Tempo journalist Francisca "Cica" Christy Rosana, who received a severed pig’s head in a package on Wednesday—an act widely condemned as a serious attack on press freedom.

Rosana, who co-hosts the political podcast Bocor Alus Politik, is the second journalist from the show to be targeted. Her colleague, Hussein Abri Dongoran, previously faced intimidation, including vandalism of his vehicle in August and September 2024.

The Safe Journalism Consortium—comprising the Human Rights Working Group (HRWG), Tifa Foundation, and the Nusantara Media Development Association (PPMN)—denounced the incident, calling it a sign of growing authoritarianism and hostility toward the press.

“This is a direct assault on press freedom,” said Tifa Executive Director Oslan Purba, urging the government to guarantee journalist safety. 

PPMN Executive Director Fransisca Ria Susanti warned that unchecked threats against journalists would further erode press freedom. “We do not want journalists and the public to live in fear simply for holding opinions different from the government or for being critical of power,” she said on Friday.

The attack on Tempo coincided with the passage of a controversial military bill, raising concerns over increasing repression. HRWG Executive Director Daniel Awigra said the use of a pig’s head—culturally sensitive in Indonesia—made the crime especially egregious and punishable under anti-discrimination laws.

Indonesia’s press freedom ranking has already fallen to 111 out of 180 countries, with 23 percent of journalists reporting direct threats, 26 percent facing news censorship, and 44 percent being barred from covering certain topics. Press advocates warn that without strong legal action, these numbers will only worsen.