January 6, 2026 | 12:16 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A screenshot of a news story with the Tempo logo circulated on Instagram [archive] and X on January 2, 2026. The screenshot included a video of residents throwing stones at a mining site in a river with the title “Warga Cina Diduga Menambang Emas Secara Ilegal, Ini Modusnya” (Chinese Citizens Suspected of Illegal Gold Mining, Here's How).
The post also included additional text reading “Warga Aceh Lempari Tambang Ilegal Cina” (Acehnese Throw Stones at Illegal Chinese Mines). The uploader also stated that the incident occurred in Krueng Woyla, West Aceh, on Sunday, October 5, 2025.
Is it true that Tempo published the news as claimed?
FACT CHECK
Tempo's Fact Check team verified the claim through interviews, reverse image searches, and comparisons with credible media reports. The results show that the news screenshot and video were edited by irresponsible individuals who combined images with unrelated headlines.
Tempo Editor-in-Chief Setri Yasra emphasized that Tempo never published news about Acehnese residents throwing stones at an illegal Chinese-owned mine using the video. “The hoax creators have stolen Tempo's logo,” Setri said on Monday, January 5, 2026.
Setri advised the public to compare the original news by accessing the website www.tempo.co. He also reminded that actions that interfere with journalistic work are criminal offenses.
Tempo did publish a news article titled “Warga Cina Diduga Menambang Emas Secara Ilegal, Ini Modusnya” (Chinese Citizens Suspected of Illegal Gold Mining, Here's How) on May 13, 2024. When comparing the circulating content with the original article, there are noticeable differences. First, the original Tempo article did not use the subheading “Acehnese Citizens Throw Stones at Illegal Chinese Mines.”
Second, the photo in the original article shows the atmosphere of a press conference held by the Directorate General of Minerals and Coal and the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Indonesian National Police regarding illegal gold mining in Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan. The event took place at the Directorate General of Minerals and Coal office in Tebet, South Jakarta.
The original news report discussed the actions taken by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the Indonesian National Police's Criminal Investigation Unit, which arrested a foreign national with the initials YH. He was suspected of managing an illegal gold mine in Ketapang Regency. In addition to mining, YH and his group produced gold bars in the form of dore bullion in underground tunnels.
Video Verification
Tempo then verified the video circulating in the content using Google's reverse image search. The results showed that similar videos had been uploaded by several local media outlets in Aceh and national media. Among them were uploaded by the YouTube accounts Serambinews, Liputan 6 SCTV Daerah, and Puja TV Official on October 8, 2025.
According to Tribunnews.com, the incident was a form of public protest against the re-escalating gold mining activities. Dozens of residents threw stones at a gold mining vessel owned by PT Magellanic Garuda Kencana (MGK) operating in the Krueng Woyla River, Gleng Village, Sungai Mas District, West Aceh Regency, on Saturday, October 4, 2025.
The incident coincided with a field visit by the West Aceh Regional People's Representative Council (DPRK) Special Committee (Pansus) to the mining site.
CONCLUSION
Based on the results of a fact-check, the Tempo Fact-Checking Team concluded that the claim that Tempo reported that Acehnese residents threw stones at an illegal Chinese mine is false.
TEMPO FACT CHECK TEAM
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