Intimidation Campaign Targets Indonesian Critics with Molotovs and Carcasses

Human rights organisations in Indonesia have warned of a spreading pattern of intimidation against government critics after a spate of threatening packages and attacks in recent weeks. A coalition of 91 groups said the incidents pose a serious threat to freedom of expression and urged authorities to investigate, protect the victims and make findings public.

Among those targeted, multiple accounts identify Ramond Donny Adam, described variously as a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, a social media personality and popularly known as DJ Donny from Aceh. Sources citing Donny say a Molotov cocktail was sent to his home early on December 31 and that he received a package containing a chicken carcass and a threatening letter. Other outlets used slightly different language, reporting the device was thrown at his house; the discrepancy highlights uncertainty in how some incidents were carried out and reported.

Greenpeace Indonesia reported that its Campaign Manager for Climate and Energy, Iqbal Damanik, discovered a chicken carcass left on his front porch along with a threatening message. Those reports link the intimidation to Damanik’s public criticism of government handling of a deadly flood in Sumatra, though human rights groups stress that such motives remain suspected and unproven until authorities complete credible investigations.

An influencer identified as Sherly Annavita said she received a bag of rotten eggs and experienced vandalism to her car. Rights groups and media accounts describe similar tactics used against journalists, academics and other civil society figures: delivery of animal carcasses, rotten eggs, threatening letters and messages, targeted vandalism and some digital attacks. At least one incident involved a Molotov cocktail reported as either sent to or thrown at a residence.

The coalition’s joint statement framed the incidents as part of an intensifying environment of pressure on dissent in Indonesia and the broader Southeast Asian region, warning that such tactics can chill public debate and imperil civic freedoms. The groups demanded prompt, transparent probes and protective measures for those under threat.

Requests for comment sent to the Jakarta Police and the Presidential Office were reported as unanswered at the time the accounts were compiled. Public remarks by President Prabowo Subianto that criticism of the government is permitted but should be constructive were cited in some reports as part of the broader backdrop to tensions over dissent; rights campaigners say the recent intimidation undermines any asserted tolerance for critical voices.

No official confirmations of perpetrators, arrests or completed investigations have been reported. Investigators face the task of reconciling differing eyewitness descriptions and establishing motive and responsibility while respecting legal standards and due process. International human rights norms oblige states to protect freedom of expression and to safeguard the physical security of those exercising dissent, obligations that rights groups say should guide Indonesia’s response.

As authorities are called to probe the incidents, activists and civil society figures say the attacks have already heightened anxiety about personal safety and the ability to speak freely on sensitive policy matters. Human rights organisations contend that swift, transparent action will be required to restore confidence and prevent further erosion of democratic space.