Jakarta \u2013 A member of Commission III of the Indonesian House of\nRepresentatives, I Wayan Sudirta, has stated that the acid attack\nagainst Andrie Yunus, an activist with the Commission for the\nDisappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), is not merely an ordinary\ncriminal act.<\/p>\n
According to him, the attack represents a serious test of the state\u2019s\ncommitment to protecting civil liberties and upholding the rule of\nlaw.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndonesia frequently affirms itself as a state of law and\nconstitutional democracy,\u201d Wayan said in a statement on Monday, 16 March\n2026.<\/p>\n
He described the acid attack on Andrie Yunus as a form of violence\ndesigned to cause permanent physical and psychological injury whilst\ncreating a widespread climate of terror. \u201cThe purpose is clear: to\nsilence courage and critical voices,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that violence against activists is not a new\nphenomenon in post-reform Indonesia. In 2004, human rights activist\nMunir Said Thalib died from arsenic poisoning whilst on a flight to the\nNetherlands.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat case still leaves major questions about who orchestrated the\nmurder,\u201d explained the PDI Struggle parliamentary faction member.<\/p>\n
In 2015, he continued, Salim Kancil, an activist opposing illegal\nsand mining in Lumajang, was beaten to death by a group of individuals.\nAdditionally, former KPK investigator Novel Baswedan fell victim to an\nacid attack in 2017.<\/p>\n
Andrie Yunus is an activist frequently involved in advocacy and often\nvoices criticism regarding security sector reform issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cAttacks do not always result in death. Many activists face\nintimidation, physical violence, legal criminalisation, and digital\nattacks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Reports from various civil society organisations show that\nenvironmental activists, indigenous rights defenders, investigative\njournalists, and human rights advocates frequently become targets of\npressure.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pattern is relatively consistent: those who voice critical\nconcerns about the abuse of power or exploitation of natural resources\noften face risks of violence,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, he said, the attack on Andrie Yunus serves as an alarm\nto the public that democracy is being tested. This case must be\nunderstood in the context that the incident does not stand alone but is\npart of a recurring pattern of threats against human rights defenders\nthat continues without resolution.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/parliament-acid-attack-on-kontras-activist-is-a-serious-alarm-for-the-state-1773716071", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }