Delivery of dead rats to Indonesian reporters sparks fears over freedom curbs
A series of 'terrorist' threats involving animal remains targeting several staff working for Indonesia's Tempo magazine has sparked concerns over backsliding press freedoms and that such intimidation tactics could push journalists toward self-censorship.
Advertisement
Tempo, one of the country's most respected investigative news outlets, on Saturday received a box of six rats with their heads decapitated, which was thrown into the front gate of its headquarters in Jakarta.
The incident happened just three days after a
severed pig's head was sent to Francisca Christy Rosana, a political journalist with the magazine and co-host of its 'Bocor Alus' political podcast.
In a virtual news briefing on Sunday, Tempo's editor-in-chief Setri Yasra said the personal data of Rosana and her family had also been published online, with the doxxing act carried out by an 'anonymous' actor.
'So it's not just [Rosana], her family too. Her social media account was [inaccessible], although we can restore it. There was an anonymous account on Instagram that made threats openly [against Rosana], with harsh language. We don't know the person because the account is anonymous,' he said.
While it was unclear why animal carcasses were sent to Tempo, the weekly magazine described the incidents as acts of 'terror'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
HKFP
3 days ago
- HKFP
Hong Kong pro-democracy business hit with ‘unwarranted' tax demand, owner says
A Hong Kong pro-democracy shop owner has said his business is facing 'unwarranted' tax demands. Derek Chu, an ex-district councillor and the owner of e-commerce company As One, said on Tuesday that the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) demanded in April that his business pay HK$120,075 in profit tax for the financial year 2023-24. The tax assessment would mean As One made a profit of about HK$1.5 million in 2023-24, but in reality, his shop only recorded a profit of less than HK$100,000, Chu told HKFP in a phone interview. Most of As One's HK$4 million income last year was spent on salaries, rent, and restocking products, he added. 'The numbers should have been obvious to the IRD,' Chu said. 'I don't know how they could see that much profit.' The shop owner, who also founded the prisoners' rights advocacy group Waiting Bird, accused the IRD of 'targeting' his business and said he decided to speak up about the tax demand to 'set the record straight.' 'It's about telling people that what the IRD did was completely unwarranted,' he said. HKFP has contacted the IRD for comment. Part of As One's business model is selling gift packages for prisoners, which accounted for about a third of the shop's income, according to an Instagram post published on Monday. The company relies on loans from Chu's family members to maintain cash flow, and it has accumulated debts totalling over HK$1 million since the business started in 2021, he said. He has been repaying the loan, but there is still an outstanding amount of 'hundreds of thousands' of dollars, Chu told HKFP. The five full-time staff members and two part-time staffers only earn meagre salaries of less than HK$20,000 a month, while Chu himself has never got paid in full, he said. The IRD's tax demand has made his business 'harder' as he has to borrow more from his family members to pay the tax, he added. Independent media's tax audits Chu's disclosure comes nearly two weeks after the Hong Kong Journalists' Association (HKJA) made a similar announcement last month. According to the press union, six independent media outlets in the city have been facing tax audits from the IRD since late 2023, with the IRD making errors and 'strange, unreasonable claims' in its tax assessments and demands. The outlets include HKFP, InMedia, The Witness, ReNews, Boomhead, and one that did not wish to be named. In a statement, HKFP said it has been cooperating fully with the IRD's tax audit, adding that it has 'always met its tax obligations, paid IRD demands immediately, and ensured meticulous record-keeping' since it was established in 2015. According to the HKJA, 20 individuals, including heads of media outlets and their spouses, are also subject to the IRD's audits and backdated tax demands. The HKJA also faces the IRD's scrutiny. When asked by a reporter about the matter, Chief Executive John Lee brushed off HKJA's allegations and said that journalists 'have no privilege to evade taxes.'
HKFP
4 days ago
- HKFP
Hong Kong illustrator's art fair stall closes after police inspect drawings
A Hong Kong artist's stall at an illustration art fair has closed after police officers reportedly received complaints, photographed the displayed drawings, and passed them to national security police. The illustrator, known by the artist name Ah Keung, said in a now-deleted Instagram post that police officers took photos of their booth at the Hong Kong Illustration and Creative Show, held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, on Saturday. 'The police dutifully took photos of all the artworks at the stall and passed them to the national security department for record,' the illustrator said. According to Ah Keung's post, the police arrived at the stall at around 5pm on Saturday, saying they had received a report from an 'enthusiastic citizen.' The police also told local media that they received a report that day and sent officers to the scene to investigate. They added that they would conduct follow-up investigations based on the evidence, actual circumstances, and details of the case, in accordance with the law. HKFP has reached out to the organiser and the police for comment. 'I still like Hong Kong' Ah Keung also said on Instagram that Saturday's incident was 'unrelated to the organiser' and apologised for the trouble faced by the organiser and the exhibitors in neighbouring stalls. 'Finally, thank you to everyone who likes my drawings. I still like Hong Kong, but I hope this place will allow me to keep drawing,' the artist said. The Instagram post shared a black-and-white photo of an empty booth marked with the stall number D25 and the exhibitor's name in Chinese, 'Keung Kee.' A search for the exhibitor's name and the stall number yields no results on the fair's exhibitor list. In recent years, Ah Keung has produced 'The Hong Kong Times,' hand-drawn, handwritten 'newspaper pages' covering local news, including jailed barrister-activist Chow Hang-tung's legal challenge against female inmates' trousers-only rules in April. The illustrations are available for sale on AsOne, a store owned by ex-district councillor Derek Chu. Independent media outlet HK Feature's online shop also has a description of The Hong Kong Times on its website but does not list the products for sale. 'Anyone who has seen [my] newspaper would know that I just copy news from the major news outlets without any personal interpretation, and share local films and funny anecdotes, with no secessionist or seditious intention,' Ah Keung said. 'I'm just a person who likes history and drawing,' the artist added.
HKFP
28-05-2025
- HKFP
Hong Kong authorities launch probe after wedding planner's vanishing act leaves trail of over 200 victims
A Hong Kong wedding planner's sudden disappearance has taken more than 200 customers by surprise, prompting authorities to launch an investigation. The company, PS Wedding & Event Decoration, allegedly removed its website and social media accounts, closed its office, and has not been contactable since Monday, according to a group set up by bewildered customers in a bid to share information about the firm. As of 5pm Wednesday, the group had about 225 people – both brides and grooms – who presented invoices issued by the wedding planner, with losses totalling over HK$1 million, Kwok, who organised the group, told HKFP. The 27-year-old, who asked to be identified only by her surname, purchased a HK$18,588 plan with the company for her upcoming wedding in December and paid a deposit of HK$8,200. However, she discovered on Monday that PS Wedding had removed its Facebook and Instagram accounts. She said she called and texted the company via WhatsApp, but to no avail. When she visited the company's San Po Kong office at around 11am on Tuesday, she saw that the office and signboard had been cleared, and the landlord told her the company had moved out. Kwok said she reached out to other brides on social media and found others who also could not contact PS Wedding. They formed a group to share information and filed a police report. She also said that a customer in her group received an email from PS Wedding as recently as Wednesday last week. The email – seen by HKFP – asked the customer to settle an outstanding payment of HK$13,594 by Friday last week. HKFP's calls to PS Wedding, including via WhatsApp, on Wednesday failed to get through. The Consumer Council told HKFP on Wednesday that, as of 5pm, it had received 31 complaints against PS Wedding, involving a total amount of more than HK$337,000. The highest single loss was HK$40,600, the council added. In an email reply on Wednesday, Customs confirmed it had received reports regarding the wedding company and launched an investigation. It also warned that a company could face a HK$500,000 fine and a jail sentence of up to five years if found to have violated the Trade Descriptions Ordinance. Under the ordinance, a service provider who accepts payments without providing the intended service within a reasonable period, or delivers a service significantly different from what was intended, commits an offence.
