Tempo journalists intimidated regarding reports on the closure of the Virgin Mary
A Tempo journalist in Yogyakarta, Shinta Maharani, was intimidated for writing a news report on the closing of the statue of the Virgin Mary at the Sasana Adhi Rasa Saint James Prayer house in Padukuhan Degolan, Bumirejo, Lendah, Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta.
Shinta came under pressure from the leaders of the Kaaba Youth Movement (GPK) Organization who objected because they were accused of intimidating and intervening in the closing of the statue of the Virgin Mary at the Sasana Adhi Rasa Prayer house of Saint James.The Yogyakarta Kaaba Youth Movement (GPK) is a wing organization of PPP Yogyakarta.
The report was written by Shinta, after reporting to the prayer house, one day after the statue was closed.
Then Shinta conducted interviews with the guard of the house of prayer, the village head of Bumirejo, the Korlap and the leaders of the Ormas, as well as various parties including the Kulon Progo Police Chief and the Yogyakarta Regional Police Chief.
The report on the results of the report was published in Tempo magazine, entitled "Behind the Tarpaulin of the Statue of the Virgin Mary". Several other reports have also been published on Tempo.co, including the title "Protested by mass organizations, the statue of the Virgin Mary was covered with a tarpaulin during the month of Ramadan".
After the report was published, Shinta received various intimidations. First, the Chairperson of GPK Yogyakarta called and sent a message to Shinta via WhatsApp on Thursday 6 April 2023. He expressed his objection because their Ormas was associated with the closing of the statue of the Virgin Mary.
He also objected to the Tempo graphic, which shows data on a series of acts of intolerance by members of their Ormas, even before the incident of the closing of the statue of the Virgin Mary was carried out.
Shinta has answered the phone call from the chairman of the GPK, and said that if you have any objections to Tempo's reporting, please apply for the right of reply by sending a letter to the editorial office of Tempo or taking the dispute route to the Press Council.
The next day, on Friday April 7 2023, Shinta received a message from someone via an unknown WhatsApp number. The contents of the message conveyed a GPK press release entitled "GPK Ultimatum Tempo, Don't Fight Us Against One". In that press release, the GPK asked Tempo to withdraw the news that cornered the PPP underbow organization, and asked its members not to be provoked.
A few hours later, the Yogyakarta GPK chairman called Shinta and asked for the address of the Tempo representative office in Yogyakarta. Shinta answered that the Tempo office was only in Jakarta.
On Saturday, April 8 2023, Shinta found that dozens of people allegedly searched her number through the GetContact application.
The Journalist Safety Committee (KKJ) together with AJI Indonesia condemned acts of intimidation and terror against Tempo journalist. The act of intimidation was an attempt to silence the press and violated Article 18 paragraph 1 of law number 40 of 1999 concerning the press.