TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Caucus for Academic Freedom (KIKA) has condemned the alleged intimidation against students critical of militarism. KIKA urges law enforcement to thoroughly investigate and find the perpetrators.
This statement was made by KIKA in response to two alleged cases of intimidation. First, against three students from the Islamic University of Indonesia (UII) who filed a judicial review of the TNI Law to the Constitutional Court. Second, against a postgraduate student with the initials YF, who was grazed by two motorcyclists wearing closed helmets after writing an opinion in the Detikcom media entitled "General in Civil Positions: Where is the Merit of Civil Servants?".
"Terror over writings, opinions, and constitutional efforts must be held accountable," said KIKA member Herdiansyah Hamzah in an official statement on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
According to KIKA, what the students did is their right as citizens to express their opinions and is part of academic freedom. "Therefore, they must be protected by constitutional law and human rights," he said.
KIKA urges the police not to allow acts of terror or intimidation to continue against students. The police must investigate and take action against the perpetrators of such intimidation.
The organization also urges the National Commission on Human Rights to thoroughly investigate the cases so that there will be progressive efforts for those in power to support academic freedom, freedom of speech, and freedom of expression, as mandated by Standard Norms and Regulations number 5 of 2021.
"Intimidation against academic freedom and expression must be stopped, evaluated, and prevented from reoccurring," said Herdiansyah.
KIKA believes that anti-critical militarism practices can damage the tradition of critical thinking and weaken the principles of a democratic rule of law state.
They urge all parties, especially state institutions, to support academic freedom as regulated in National Higher Education Standards number 5 of 2021.
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