KontraS deputy coordinator Andrie Yunus during a protest outside a meeting on the TNI Law revision at the Fairmont Hotel Jakarta on March 15, 2025. (Kompas)
Indonesian human rights activist has been seriously injured after two men on a motorbike allegedly threw acid at him in an attack that has sparked renewed concern over the safety of activists and the state of democracy in the country. Andrie Yunus, deputy coordinator of the rights group KontraS, suffered severe burns to his face, eye, hands and chest during the assault in the capital Jakarta late on March 12.
According to KontraS Coordinator Dimas Bagus Arya, Andrie had been riding his motorbike when two men on a scooter approached him. One of the attackers then threw acid at him before the pair fled the scene. Both suspects reportedly concealed their faces. Andrie, who had previously received threats linked to his activism, was rushed to hospital with burns covering roughly 24% of his body.
“We see this acid attack as an attempt to silence critical voices in society,” Arya said, urging authorities to swiftly identify those responsible and determine their motives.
The incident has drawn international concern. Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said he was deeply concerned by the horrific acid attack and called for the perpetrators to be held accountable. UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders Mary Lawlor also demanded a thorough investigation, stating that impunity for violence against activists was unacceptable.
Andrie has been an outspoken critic of efforts to expand the military’s influence in Indonesian governance and had reportedly just finished recording a podcast on the issue before the attack. Meanwhile, rights group Human Rights Watch has warned that Indonesia under President Prabowo Subianto has experienced increasing democratic backsliding, citing restrictions on protests, media pressure and intimidation of activists.
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