PDI-P Legislator Denounces Acid Attack on Democracy Activist as Democratic Terror
JAKARTA — Yulius Setiarto, a member of the House of Representatives from the PDI-P faction, has strongly condemned the acid attack against Andrie Yunus, an activist and Vice Coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS).
He characterised the attack as an act of terror against civil liberties and civil society movements in Indonesia. Yulius described the assault by unknown perpetrators as a cowardly act intended to silence the critical voices of activists.
“This is not merely a common assault, but a strong indication of premeditated crime aimed at spreading terror to silence critical voices,” Yulius stated on Saturday (14 March 2026).
Yulius noted that Andrie has a long track record of championing democracy, exposing alleged human rights violations, investigating abuse of power, and opposing the return of military dual functions. The member of Commission I of the House of Representatives viewed the act of terror and violence against an activist as a serious threat to democratic life and human rights enforcement that has been fought for since the era of reform.
“A pro-democracy activist is brutally attacked in public space in the nation’s capital, demonstrating how fragile the guarantees of security and safety are for citizens exercising their constitutional right to speak the truth and pursue justice,” he emphasised.
Yulius stressed that the state must not be indifferent to the case. He considered all forms of thuggery and terror against pro-democracy activists as crimes against humanity and a betrayal of democratic and rule-of-law values.
He urged the Indonesian National Police to act swiftly, professionally, and transparently in thoroughly investigating the case. He also called on the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) and the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) to provide maximum protection and comprehensive recovery support—both medical and psychological—to Andrie Yunus and his family.
Yulius further stressed that the government has an obligation to ensure the safety of democracy activists and civil society so they can carry out their activities without fear. He called on civil society, academics, journalists, students, and the broader public not to be intimidated by various forms of attacks on freedom of expression.
“Terror against one democracy fighter is terror against us all,” Yulius said.