September 25, 2025 | 05:25 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Kamisan Action (Action on Thursday), organized by Indonesian students in New York, ended in intimidation. Some organizers claimed to have been threatened by intelligence personnel to stop the activities, with the threat of revoking their Endowment Fund for Education Agency (LPDP) scholarships and being reported to the U.S. immigration.
"They said our scholarships could be revoked if we persist," said Ali, one of the Kamisan Action organizers in New York, in an interview with Tempo on Thursday, September 25, 2025.
Ali narrated that a New York University (NYU) student who is also an Indonesian police officer contacted him on June 21, 2025. The officer requested a meeting at a cafe in Times Square. Ali arrived with three of his colleagues.
During the meeting, he said, the officer conveyed a message from an Indonesian military (TNI) general who objected to Kamisan Action and labeled it as a "rebellious act." He explained that the general requested that the Kamisan Action be stopped or, at the very least, not be publicized on social media through the student police officer. "If it's still posted, he said, the general would report to the LPDP to revoke our scholarships," said Ali.
Ali's unnamed colleague, an Indonesian student at Columbia University and another initiator of Kamisan Action who also attended the meeting with the police officer, corroborated the story. He mentioned that the peak of intimidation occurred after they raised the issue of the mass rape in May 1998, and plans to rewrite history. "The peak was in June, when the scholarship threat emerged," said the student who still resides in New York.
In addition to verbal threats, the Kamisan Action initiators claimed to be under surveillance. An Indonesian police officer studying in New York had attended Aksi Kamisan last February. Ali recounted that the officer appeared to be recording their activities. "We suspect he's an intelligence operative," he said.
Intimidation didn't only come from the authorities. A NYU student named Fauzan, who served as the co-president of Mata Garuda Amerika Serikat, according to Ali, was allegedly assigned to spy on them. "That's what made us feel betrayed, because he was also a hangout friend," said Ali.
These threats led to a temporary halt of Kamisan Action activities in New York. The student movement organizers chose to suspend activities to mitigate the risks. "This is the first time threats have occurred abroad, so the central Aksi Kamisan requested us to pause," said Ali.
Ali's colleague also mentioned that they had reported this incident to the LPDP, but did not receive protection. He believed that the intimidation was dangerous for the academic freedom of scholarship recipients. "We don't want LPDP scholars to be afraid to speak up because they are easily threatened," he said.
He argued that during their study in the United States, they learned valuable lessons. Starting from book censorship, intergenerational trauma due to genocide, education that kills human thinking, and how love can permeate every aspect of life. In Kamisan Action, he explained that they often discuss past human rights violations so that in the future, Indonesia can achieve a society that is full of love and free from oppression.
Therefore, he deeply regrets when a place to preserve memories is considered dangerous. "I think all humans on this earth want the same thing: a world without oppression. I was quite shocked when a non-violent academic discussion space could threaten people to drop out of school," said the Columbia University student.
Despite being disappointed with the government's stance, Ali also urged Indonesian students to continue to speak up. "Keep making noise, do not be afraid of threats. Citizens support citizens," he said.
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