Indonesia punk bandSukatani’s Song Pulled; Musicians Highlight Suppression of Creative Freedom
Daniel Ahmad Fajri TEMPO.CO Thu, February 20, 2025
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Sukatani, a punk band from Purbalingga, has pulled their song, ‘Bayar Bayar Bayar’, from all music streaming platforms. The band members made this announcement via their social media account, @sukatani.band, on Thursday, February 20, 2025.
In the video posted, two Sukatani members, guitarist Muhammad Syifa Al Lufti and vocalist Novi Citra Indriyati, offered an apology to the National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo and the police institution. They appeared without their customary masks.
https://332c7d9d6607d1c4803cb76157799361.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-41/html/container.html Despite appearing unmasked, Sukatani chose to maintain anonymity during their public stage performances.
Lutfi explained that Sukatani issued the apology for the lyrics of the song from their Gelap Gempita album, noting that it was intended as a form of criticism. “I wrote the song to criticize police officers who break regulations,” he said.
Lutfi also asked social media users to delete any existing copies of the video or song that had already been circulated. He stressed that Sukatani wished to avoid any potential repercussions.
At the end of the statement, they mentioned the apology and withdrawal of the song were made voluntarily without any external pressure or coercion.
Support from artists and YLBHI
The removal of Sukatani’s song has sparked widespread concern among fellow musicians and legal advocates. Artists such as Baskara Putra from Hindia and rapper Tuan Tiga Belas lamented the removal of Sukatani’s work. They are concerned about intimidation and the increasingly limited freedom of artistic expression.
Arif Kurniawan, a member of the alternative/punk band Taktis, expressed worry that the creative space for musicians would be more closely monitored and restricted.
“As a result, the freedom of expression will be limited. This is a form of anti-critique,” said the leader of the group from Bogor in a short message to Tempo.
Chairperson of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) Muhammad Isnur stated that the withdrawal of Sukatani’s song is a form of anti-critique and a suppression of both expression and artistic freedom.
Isnur compared the withdrawal of Sukatani’s song to the censorship of artistic works during the New Order era. “This is very dangerous for democracy and violates our constitution,” said Isnur in a voice message on Thursday.
As of the time of this report, Head of the Public Information Bureau of the National Police, Brig. Gen. Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko, has not responded to requests for confirmation sent to his personal contact.
SOURCE: TEMPO.CO, Indonesia, Thu, February 20, 2025
ASEAN Digest 
Recent Comments