Rising Journalist Violence Prompts Professional Press Organisations to Establish Safety Committee in Central Java and Yogyakarta
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SEMARANG – A number of professional journalism organisations, civil society networks, and student press groups have formed the Journalist Safety Committee (KKJ) for Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta (Jateng-DIY). This is in response to the increasing trend of violence against journalists.
The KKJ Jateng-DIY was officially established on Sunday, 22 February 2026. The organisations involved in initiating the formation of the committee include the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Semarang, AJI Solo, AJI Purwokerto, AJI Yogyakarta, the Indonesian Photojournalists Association (PFI) Semarang, PFI Solo, and civil society networks such as SPLM Central Java, LBH Semarang, LRC-KJHAM, and student press groups.
The chairman of AJI Semarang, Aris Mulyawan, said that the formation of the KKJ Jateng-DIY aims to protect journalistic work. He stated that the KKJ is a starting point for building journalist safety.
“This is our starting point for building a journalist safety ecosystem in Central Java and DIY. According to our records, around 23 journalists in Central Java have been victims, some of whom are student journalists. Ten members of campus press organisations became victims of violence during the term of Governor Ahmad Luthfi. The data shows that the majority of perpetrators of violence are police and military personnel,” Aris said in a statement on Monday, 23 February 2026.
According to Aris, the trend of violence against journalists in Central Java increased in 2025, reaching 21 cases. The details include intimidation by military personnel against journalists reporting on agrarian conflicts in Pundenrejo, physical violence against reporters covering the National Police Chief’s activities at Tawang Semarang Station, the arrest and assault of student journalists while covering International Workers’ Day (May Day), the confiscation of cameras, and doxing practices against members of AJI Semarang and media workers in Central Java. The majority of victims of violence in Central Java also come from student press groups.
The chairman of PFI Semarang, Raditya Mahendra Yasa, said that the formation of the KKJ Jateng-DIY is very urgent. “This is urgent for the safety of journalists in the current regime. In fact, this urgency has been needed for a long time. If violence occurs, we must be able to anticipate the steps to be taken. Photojournalists are also very vulnerable to violence,” he said.