Environmental Activist in Babel Suspected of Being Doused with Acid

Deputy Chairman of Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives Ahmad Sahroni has called on the Bangka Belitung Police Chief to personally investigate the suspected acid attack on environmental activist Muhammad Rosidi from South Bangka, Bangka Belitung. “I ask the Bangka Belitung Police Chief to be firm and directly intervene in this case, without delay, and immediately uncover the facts of the incident. Whoever the perpetrators are must be revealed to the public as clearly as possible,” Sahroni stated in Jakarta on Thursday (2/4). Muhammad Rosidi is suspected to have been the victim of an acid dousing in front of the K24 Pharmacy on Jenderal Sudirman Street, Teladan Ward, Toboali Subdistrict, on Monday (30/3) around 10:30 PM WIB, when he was about to follow his friend using his car. The suspected perpetrators carried out the attack using a scooter and threw the corrosive acid substance towards the open car window. The acid liquid hit Rosidi’s body. He suffered burns to his legs, hands, and groin area. Rosidi reported the terror to the South Bangka Police Station the next day. Rosidi has received a police summons for examination to clarify the incident that befell him. Sahroni expressed anger over the recurring acid attack cases. According to him, acid attacks can happen to anyone, and assaults on critical voices represent a dangerous situation if left unchecked. “This is clearly structured terror, not just for activists, but for all of us. This is truly very concerning. This is just now known to have happened in Babel. Who will be next? It could happen to anyone out there,” he said. According to him, such threat patterns are very dangerous for civil society security. Therefore, he believes the police must immediately uncover and arrest the perpetrators, and ensure that such incidents do not recur.