The lawsuit had previously been deemed disproportionate because Tempo had complied with the dispute resolution mechanism through the Press Council, as stipulated in Law No. 40 of 1999 on the Press.
Illustration: Tifa Foundation, 2025
Jakarta, October 30, 2025 – Inquick succession, press freedom in Indonesia has faced two serious attacks. First, Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman’s lawsuit against Tempo Inti Media Tbk for Rp200 billion. Second, the circulation of an internal directive from the Ministry of Agriculture ordering civil servants to launch a digital attack against Tempo’s content on YouTube.
The lawsuit stems from a news poster published on May 16, 2025, titled “Polishing Rotten Rice.” This poster served as an introduction to the article “Risks for Bulog After Setting a Record for Rice Reserves in History.” Tempo’s report titled “Polishing Rotten Rice” and the social media post sparked a reaction from the Minister of Agriculture. In fact, the Press Council had already addressed the complaint regarding the report and issued recommendations that Tempo had implemented. Consequently, the legal action taken outside the press mechanism is viewed as a disproportionate measure and one that risks undermining independent media outlets like Tempo.
Meanwhile, instructions issued to all civil servants within the Ministry of Agriculture require them to “dislike” the video,report it as “misinformation” and “hate speech, ” and flood the comments section with narratives highlighting the ministry’s achievements. This move not only demonstrates a systematic effort to silence criticism but also constitutes an abuse of authority by mobilizing state apparatus to protect the image of public officials from news coverage that is legitimate from a journalistic standpoint.
The Safe Journalism Consortium (JA)—comprising the Tifa Foundation, the Association for the Development of Indonesian Media (PPMN), and the Human Rights Working Group (HRWG)—believes that these two actions pose a direct threat to press freedom and democratic space in Indonesia.
“When a lawsuit involving a staggering sum is accompanied by instructions to civil servants to attack journalistic products, it is no longer an ordinary dispute, but rather a form of systematic state pressure. The Rp200 billion lawsuit is an attempt to bankrupt the media, while the instructions to civil servants constitute a form of digital press suppression,” said Fransiska Ria Susati, Executive Director of PPMN.
The lawsuit had previously been deemed disproportionate because Tempo had complied with the dispute resolution mechanism through the Press Council, as stipulated in Law No. 40 of 1999 on the Press. Bypassing that mechanism through legal channels and seeking exorbitant damages would only havea chilling effect on other media outlets that dare to criticize public officials.
“Tempo is one of the few media outlets that remains independent and unafraid to speak out. Taking legal action against it and then organizing civil servants to launch a barrage of online attacks are practices that are dangerous for democracy,” said Oslan Purba, Executive Director of the Tifa Foundation.
The Safe Journalism Consortium also strongly condemned the internal directive, as it uses civil servants to shape public opinion in a way that shields officials from media criticism. The directive also demonstrates the misuse of authority and state resources to silence critical voices, as well as creating a climate of fear among civil servants and the public regarding the free expression of opinions.
“Mobilizing civil servants to attack journalistic products is a serious violation of government ethics and the principle of freedom of expression. The state should guarantee press freedom, not organize its suppression,” said Daniel Awigra, Executive Director of HRWG. The Safe Journalism Consortium calls on the government and the public not to allow this practice to become the new normal in relations between the state and the press.
Therefore, Safe Journalism demands:
- The withdrawal of the Rp200 billion lawsuit against Tempo and the cessation of all forms of legal pressure against the media;
- The immediate revocation of the Ministry of Agriculture’s internal directive ordering civil servants to attack media content;
- Enforcement of the principle of civil service neutrality and respect for press freedom;
- The government’s commitment to ensuring that journalism can operate free from legal, political, or digital threats.
Freedom of the press is the public’s right to know. “If the media is silenced by lawsuits and political pressure, then what is being taken away is not just Tempo’s voice but also the public’s right to the truth,” the consortium concluded in its statement.
The Consortium for Safe Journalism is calling on the government and the public not to allow this practice to become the new normal in relations between the state and the press.
About the Safe Journalism Consortium
The Safe Journalism Consortium (JA) is a collaboration between the Tifa Foundation, PPMN, and HRWG, supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, committed to strengthening press freedom, the safety of journalists, and an independent media ecosystem in Indonesia.
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For more information: www.jurnalismeaman.com