Eight Indonesian Journalists Assaulted While Reporting on Industrial Pollution

August 27, 2025 – Indonesia –

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has denounced the violent assault on eight journalists who were covering an inspection of a lead smelting plant in Serang, Banten, an operation investigating alleged violations in hazardous and toxic waste management. The journalists represented a broad media spectrum, including Radar Banten, Tribun Banten, Bantennews.co.id, SCTV, Tempo, Antara, Banten TV, Jawa Pos TV, and Detik. RSF emphasized that the attack not only endangers media professionals but severely undermines environmental accountability and public awareness.

On August 21, 2025, as ministry officials departed the site, security personnel from the company, accompanied by at least one officer from Brimob (Mobile Brigade Corps), turned violent. Using machetes, they targeted journalists and inspection staff who remained at the factory. Several journalists fled, while others sustained injuries, including Muhammad Rifky Juliana of Tribun Banten, who required hospitalization for a head wound.

Authorities have since detained five suspects: one police officer and four factory security staff, with further investigations ongoing. RSF strongly condemned not only the involvement of a uniformed officer in the violence but also the company’s resort to hiring violent means to silence media coverage.

The organization noted that this incident is part of a troubling pattern in Indonesia, where environmental journalism is increasingly met with hostility. Just weeks prior, journalists covering mass protests in Jakarta and Bone were also subjected to police violence, illustrating a broader trend of media intimidation. RSF called on authorities to prosecute those responsible and implement concrete measures to end attacks on journalists, especially in areas critical to public interest reporting like environmental protection.

As Indonesia prepares for future climate negotiations, including COP30, safeguarding journalists covering ecological issues is not only a matter of press freedom, it is essential for informed civic engagement in environmental policymaking.

References –

https://rsf.org/en/rsf-outraged-assault-on-eight-journalists-covering-industrial-pollution-indonesia