TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - As 2025 draws to a close, a troubling pattern of intimidation has emerged in Indonesia, targeting activists, influencers, artists, and journalists who have publicly voiced criticism over the government’s response to a series of major national issues and crises.
The acts of intimidation range from coordinated online harassment and threats to physical terror, including the delivery of animal carcasses, vandalism, and even an attempted firebombing. Those targeted share a common thread: outspoken criticism of disaster response efforts and environmental governance.
1. Greenpeace Activist Terrorized With Chicken Carcass
One of the most alarming cases involved Iqbal Damanik, Climate and Energy Campaign Manager at Greenpeace Indonesia. On Tuesday morning, December 30, 2025, his home was targeted in what the organization believes was an act of intimidation.
According to Greenpeace, an unwrapped chicken carcass was found on the terrace of Iqbal’s house. A handwritten note was tied to the animal’s leg, containing a direct threat.
“Watch what you say if you want to protect your family. Your mouth is your tiger,” the note read.
Iqbal said he had heard an object fall on his terrace earlier that morning. Around o5:30 AM local time, a family member discovered the carcass. Iqbal then documented the incident.
Greenpeace Indonesia Executive Director Leonard Simanjuntak said the delivery was clearly intended as terror, particularly given Iqbal’s role as a vocal environmental campaigner.
“It is difficult not to see this as an attempt to silence people who are consistently voicing criticism about the situation in Indonesia today,” Leonard said in a written statement on Tuesday.
In recent weeks, Iqbal has been outspoken on social media about the Sumatra disaster, frequently highlighting what he described as the government’s inadequate response and the underlying environmental damage, including long-standing deforestation and land-use change.
2. Aceh-Based Content Creator Targeted With Rotten Eggs and Vandalism
Another case involved Sherly Annavita, a content creator from Aceh, who said she was targeted after speaking publicly about disaster response efforts in Sumatra.
Through her Instagram account, @sherlyannavita, Sherly shared evidence of threats she said she had received over several days via private messages and phone calls. The intimidation later escalated.
“Last night, the terror became very explicit,” she wrote on Tuesday, December 30.
Sherly said her vehicle was vandalized, her residence was pelted with a bag of rotten eggs, and a threatening note was delivered to her home.
“Do not exploit the Aceh disaster to gain cheap popularity or personal profit. Do not spread misleading opinions,” the note warned.
“It is very hard to believe this was not orchestrated or ordered by someone,” Sherly said, adding that the threats intensified after she appeared on several television programs discussing the plight of Acehnese disaster victims.
3. DJ Donny Targeted With Molotov Attack and Death Threats
The intimidation escalated further in the case of Ramond Dony Adam, widely known as DJ Donny. In the early hours of Wednesday, December 31, his home was targeted in an apparent Molotov cocktail attack.
CCTV footage showed two masked individuals throwing the incendiary device, which struck the hood of his car. The fire extinguished before causing an explosion.
“Thank God the fire went out before it exploded,” Dony said at Jakarta’s Metro Jaya Police headquarters.
He reported the incident to police, citing risks not only to his family but also to neighbors.
Days earlier, Dony had received a package containing a decapitated chicken, accompanied by a threatening letter and a photo of himself altered to depict his throat being slit.
“If you keep speaking, watch your words on social media, or you’ll end up like this chicken,” the message read.
Dony said the threats began after he criticized the government’s disaster response and called for accountability over the causes of the Sumatra tragedy.
4. Actor Yama Carlos Intimidated Over Satirical Video
Actor Yama Carlos, whose real name is Hamba Ramanda, also reported harassment after posting a satirical video about disaster management. The video did not mention any individual or institution.
Yama said he received threatening WhatsApp messages demanding he delete 12 TikTok videos. The intimidation escalated when the perpetrator allegedly hijacked the phone number of a colleague’s mother to apply pressure.
“They didn’t just terrorize me. They went after people around me so I would feel overwhelmed,” Yama said.
He eventually removed the video. Shortly afterward, the hijacked phone number was restored. The harassment continued through fake cash-on-delivery package orders sent under his wife’s name.
“I almost never point directly at anyone. It was satire,” Yama said. “But apparently even that is enough.”
5. Digital Attacks Against Content Creator Virdian Aurellio
On December 20, 2025, content creator Virdian Aurellio reported a wave of digital attacks after posting updates on post-disaster conditions in Aceh.
He said his younger sibling’s WhatsApp account was hacked and used to send explicit videos to group chats. Attempts were also made to hijack other family members’ accounts.
In addition, relatives received messages from unknown numbers attempting to discredit him.
6. Terror Against Tempo: Pig’s Head and Decapitated Rats
The climate of intimidation has not spared journalists. On March 19, 2025, Tempo reporter Francisca Christy Rosana received a package containing a pig’s head with both ears cut off.
Tempo Editor-in-Chief Setri Yasra immediately reported the incident to the National Police. Later that day, Francisca’s mother’s phone was hacked and used to contact family members.
Three days later, two unidentified individuals threw a box into Tempo’s office yard. Inside were six decapitated sewer rats wrapped in gift paper.
Read: Greenpeace Indonesia Activist Terrorized After Chicken Carcass Delivered to His Home
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