Minister Pigai Condemns Bullying After Padang School Blast, Reveals He Was Racially Abused
Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai has called for the rejection of all forms of bullying in educational environments, which is suspected to be one of the causes behind the explosion at MAN 3 Padang, West Sumatra, on Tuesday (14/7).
Pigai said the bullying case must receive attention from all parties, not only the government. Indeed, Pigai said, he himself has been a victim of bullying and racism.
“If I can be a victim of racism, what about the people? The people and I are both victims of racism,” Pigai said at the parliamentary complex on Wednesday (15/7).
Pigai said he had frequently seen racist remarks and practices directed at him in social media posts. The racist comments were made covertly, as the perpetrators generally used anonymous accounts.
“Just look at the comments on media — the comments are repeated over and over, and when we open the accounts, they are anonymous,” he said.
Pigai asserted that he has long taken a firm stance against bullying. The problem, he said, is that the institutions given the authority to take action against bullying on social media are not working optimally.
According to Pigai, there are around five institutions with the authority to stop the most blatant bullying on social media.
“The question is why won’t they act? Why won’t they? There are plenty of examples of racism against me too. My question is simple: I am a state official, so why won’t the police stop it? It’s simple,” he said.
He said his remarks were also a form of self-criticism. Therefore, Pigai believes the elimination of bullying must be carried out to a greater extent by society, individuals and communities.
“Then society, communities, individuals, families and the education sector must also play a role in stopping the bullying,” he said.
Police have secured a student with the initials R in connection with the explosion at the Madrasah Aliyah Negeri (MAN) 3 in Balai Gadang, Koto Tengah, Padang, West Sumatra (14/7).
The 17-year-old is suspected of being the owner of the improvised bomb that detonated.
Head of Public Relations at West Sumatra Regional Police, Commissioner Susmelawati Rosya, explained that the suspected perpetrator carried out the act because he had repeatedly been a victim of bullying at school.
“So he retaliated by taking a shortcut, making a bomb with a low-explosive blast,” she said.
Spokesperson for Densus 88, Commissioner Mayndra Eka Wardhana, said the perpetrator learned to make explosives online, inspired by a similar incident at SMAN 72 in Jakarta.
“The perpetrator also admitted to learning to make explosives online and was inspired by the bombing at State Senior High School 72 in Jakarta in 2025. This motive is still being investigated by the investigation team,” he said.