BALINEWSID.COM, DENPASAR – The East Nusa Tenggara Journalists Association (PENA NTT) has strongly condemned Indonesian Regional Representative Council (DPD RI) member Shri I Gusti Ngurah Arya Wedakarna, also known as Arya Wedakarna (AWK), for allegedly spreading false and harmful information targeting a Kompas.com journalist identified as YS.

The condemnation was delivered during a meeting of PENA NTT officials at the organization’s Secretariat in Denpasar on Sunday (March 29, 2026).

PENA NTT Chairman Apollonaris Klasa Daton said AWK had disseminated unverified and inaccurate information that caused reputational and psychological harm to YS, who is also a member of the association.

“Although he argued that he merely reposted content from the @kuatbaca account, as a public official, AWK should have the capacity to assess and verify information before sharing it on social media,” Daton said, accompanied by Advisory Board Chairman Emanuel Dewata Odja and other PENA NTT officials.

The association also criticized AWK for adding a provocative narrative containing racial overtones and for sharing an edited photo of YS that made it appear as though the journalist was involved in a sexual crime.

According to PENA NTT, the subjective and inflammatory caption triggered racist and abusive comments from netizens, further damaging YS’s personal dignity and mental well-being. The incident also disrupted YS’s ability to carry out journalistic duties.

In response, PENA NTT demanded that AWK issue a public apology and clarification regarding the misleading content posted on his social media account. The organization also plans to file a formal complaint with the DPD Honorary Council in Jakarta over alleged ethical violations.

Given the seriousness of the case, PENA NTT stated it would accompany YS in filing a police report at the Bali Regional Police (Polda Bali) on Monday (March 30, 2026).

“A public official like AWK should set an example in responsible social media use, uphold ethics, and educate the public to prevent the spread of misinformation,” Daton added.

Separately, YS recounted the sequence of events that led to what he described as a malicious framing against him.

On Friday (March 27, 2026), at around 10:00 a.m. local time, YS covered a press conference at Bali Police regarding a sexual violence case. He later wrote an article titled “Security Guard in Bali Rapes Australian Woman in Nightclub Bathroom,” which was published on Kompas.com after editorial review.

The following day, Saturday (March 28), at approximately 4:30 p.m., YS attended another press conference at Bali Police headquarters. Shortly afterward, he was informed that the Instagram account @kuatbaca had posted content about the same rape case using a similar headline and narrative, but featuring YS’s profile photo taken from the Kompas.com website.

The photo had been edited by blacking out the eyes and adding an orange circle, creating the impression that YS was the perpetrator. The post subsequently attracted bullying and racist comments from social media users.

“After seeing the content and the comments, my mental condition dropped, and I was unable to continue working. This is a cruel defamation against me,” YS said.

The situation escalated when AWK reposted the content on his Instagram account @aryawedakarna at around 6:55 p.m., adding the caption: “Where do you think the perpetrator is from?”

YS said the repost triggered further racist comments directed at him.

Following the incident, YS’s wife contacted AWK’s staff via direct message, requesting the removal of the post, a personal apology, and a public clarification to restore YS’s reputation. Although the message was received, the post was not immediately taken down and no clarification was issued.

Several hours later, the post was removed without explanation or apology to YS.