Legal Expert: Animal Carcass Terrors Signal Regression of Democracy, Statehood

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Mei Susanto, the head of the Policy Study Center at the Faculty of Law, Padjadjaran University (Unpad), said the animal carcass terror as received by Tempo, environmental activist Delima Silalahi, and the Papua Student Alliance in Bali is a form of regression in the rule of law, democracy, and Indonesian statehood. 

According to Mei, such terror must not occur in Indonesia, a country with democratic principles. Mei stated that this terror is a tangible form of conventional violence that has serious psychological and symbolic impacts.

"The rampant terror of animal carcasses towards journalists, activists, and students contributes to the regression of our rule of law, democracy, and statehood," said Mei in a written message received by Tempo on Monday, June 9, 2025.

Mei explained three reasons why terror using animals represents a regression of a country. First, a democratic country highly values freedom of speech as not only a fundamental right, but also as an essential pillar in the establishment of democracy. 

"Freedom of expression, including the inherent nature of criticism, is an integral part of the democratic process guaranteed in the constitutional state as stipulated in articles 28E (2) and 28F of the 1945 Constitution," he said. 

"These rights must not only be respected, but to a greater extent must be protected and fulfilled." 

Secondly, freedom of speech is not the product of the Western liberal democracy, but is also an inherent part of Indonesia's original democracy stemming from village democracy. Citing Indonesia's first vice president and independence activist Bung Hatta, Mei warned that democracy includes the spirit of discussion, protest, and gotong royong, or mutual assistance.

A package containing a pig's head addressed to Tempo journalist, Francisca Christy Rosana, at the Tempo office, Palmerah, Jakarta, March 20, 2025. Tempo/Gunawan Wicaksono

Therefore, Mei stated that the government and the people of Indonesia must collectively realize that differences in opinions and criticism are part of preserving Indonesia's original democratic tradition, which must be upheld.

"Instead of being intimidated by terror," Mei said.

Another reason, Mei said, is that the pig's head terror aims to narrow the scope of public expression, which signifies a regression of democracy and statehood. Such cases occur not only in Indonesia, but also in other countries like Latin America and Eastern Europe.

"But don't let these facts justify the terror or normalize it, it must be opposed by providing proportional and professional legal protection and enforcement," she said.

Prior to the rotting pig's head terror against the Papua Student Alliance, the environmental activist Delima Silalahi received a bird carcass at her residence in Toba Regency, North Sumatra, on Friday morning, May 30, 2025.

The Tempo editorial also experienced terror on March 19, 2025. At that time, Francisca Christy Rosana, a Tempo political journalist and host of the 'Bocor Alus Politik' podcast, received a package containing a pig's head without ears. Two days later, the terror continued with a box containing six decapitated rat carcasses.

Daniel Ahmad Fajri also contributed to the writing of this article

Editor’s Choice: Papua Students in Bali Sent Rotting Pig Heads, Seen as Possible Intimidation

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