Jakarta. The Indonesian Cyber-Media Association, or AMSI, has condemned the hacking on Thursday (11/05) of the website of local news outlet Tempo.co, apparently done in response to the guilty verdict in Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's blasphemy trial.

"The means [the hackers] not only affected the media management, but this also has the potential to disturb the public order," AMSI chairman Wenseslaus Manggut said in a statement on Friday.

Wenseslaus said the public lost access to a news source, while Tempo.co suffered financial losses.

Tempo.co is the news portal of Tempo Inti Media, the publisher of Tempo, an investigative magazine, and a daily newspaper by the same name.

"The hacking efforts have interfered with the public's right of access to information provided by the media," the AMSI chairman added.

Any objections to content published in the media should be lodged through the proper channels, as regulated by the 1999 Press Law, Wenseslaus said.

The law states that such objections should be made in writing to the responsible media organization, or by filing a complaint with the Indonesian Press Council.

"AMSI also urged the National Police to hunt down the suspects and take action in accordance with Indonesian law," Wenseslaus said.

The homepages of both the mobile and desktop versions of Tempo.co were replaced with a picture of firebrand cleric Rizieq Shihab, the leader of the hardline Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), and the members of other Muslim organizations participating in a protest rally. The words, "Free Ahok," were written below the picture.

Simultaneous Hacks

In addition to Tempo.co, the official websites of the Bali District Court and the Riau Police were also hacked.

The Bali District Court's main page was replaced with a picture of imprisoned Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's, with the words: "Give his all to this country; guilty and sentenced 2 years in jail."

The hackers also added the message: "Simple explanation: they didn't know the difference between 'eat with spoon' and 'eat spoon.' They claimed both are same meaning, and made this governor guilty. the end. #RIP Justice In My Country."

The Riau Police website was changed to play the song "Gugur Bunga ("A Flower Falls") by famous Indonesian composer, songwriter and musician Ismail Marzuki. The song calls for respect of a national hero.

The words, "#RIP Justice In My Country," were written on the page, along with a link to a Facebook page.

Riau Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Guntur Aryo Tejo said the website is not updated regularly because it is often targeted by hackers.

"[The website] does exist, but rarely used. It has often been hacked; it was also hacked previously," he told state-run news agency Antara on Friday.