TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian National Police (Polri) has stated that it will investigate the alleged intimidation and violence against journalists by the aide of the Chief of the Indonesian National Police during coverage at Tawang Station, Semarang on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The National Police Headquarters affirmed that it will not tolerate any violations by its members if proven guilty.
The Head of the Public Relations Bureau of the Police Public Relations Division, Brigadier General Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko, expressed regret over the incident. "We are very sorry if the incident did indeed occur, where it should have been avoided," Trunoyudo told Tempo when contacted on Sunday, April 6, 2025.
According to Trunoyudo, the field situation was quite crowded at that time, but the authorities still had to carry out their duties according to procedures. He stated that there should be standard operational procedures, or SOP, which should be implemented without any physical or verbal actions.
Currently, he added, the police are gathering information from the police security team at the location of the incident. "If any violations are found, we will not hesitate to impose sanctions in accordance with applicable regulations," he said.
The Chief of the Indonesian National Police's aide is alleged to have committed violence against journalists in Semarang. The incident occurred when Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo was inspecting the return flow at Tawang Station in Semarang on Saturday, April 5, 2025.
Initially, several journalists captured the moment Listyo greeted potential train passengers. Then Listyo's aide asked the journalists to step back. "By pushing quite roughly," said the Chairman of the Indonesian Press Photographers Association in Semarang, Dhana Kencana, in a written statement on Sunday, April 6, 2025.
A photographer from the Antara Foto News Agency, Makna Zaezar, then moved away from the location towards the platform. Then Listyo's aide approached him. "Once there, the aide approached Makna and proceeded to use violence by hitting Makna's head," he said. Physical violence was also experienced by several other journalists.
The police officer also issued verbal threats to the journalists. He was heard saying, "You press people, I will slap each one of you."
The Chair of the Advocacy Division of the Independent Journalists Alliance in Semarang, Daffy Yusuf, considered the action a violation of Article 18 of Law Number 40 of 1999 concerning the press. "It could result in a maximum prison sentence of two years or a fine of up to Rp 500 million," he said.
The Indonesian Press Photographers Association in Semarang and the Independent Journalists Alliance in Semarang strongly condemned the act of violence by the aide of the Indonesian National Police against the journalists, as well as any form of obstruction to journalistic work.
They demanded a public apology from the Police Chief's aide who had committed violence against the journalists. The two press organizations requested that the police impose sanctions on its members who had committed violence against the journalists.
Furthermore, the Indonesian Press Photographers Association and the Independent Journalists Alliance urged the police to be willing to learn from this incident and not repeat similar mistakes. They called on all media, journalist organizations, and civil society to participate in monitoring this case.
Jamal Abdun Nashr contributed to the writing of this article.
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