Activist Acid Attack: Indonesia's Democracy at Risk

0:00It's March 21st in Sydney, let's get into the news. Indonesian human rights advocate, Andre Yunus, was hit with an acid attack last week in Jakarta, suffering serious burns to more than 20 percent of. His body, the longtime activist with the group Contras, had just finished recording a podcast on military law reforms when someone threw acid at him while he rode his motorbike home. His clothes melted on contact, and groups representing him call it an attempted murder. This has spent the past decade criticizing the return of military influence in government under President Prabowo Suvianto's administration. He warned that Indonesia, the world's third largest democracy, risks sliding back toward authoritarianism like the old New Order era, where activists faced harsh crackdowns. Rights groups and officials reacted strongly, labeling the attack and assault on democracy itself. The coordinating ministry for law and human rights, the National Human Rights Commission, and lawmakers all condemned it.

1:02President Prabowo called it Terrorism and a Barbaric Act, promising a full investigation to track down whoever ordered or funded it with no impunity. Even for state personnel, meanwhile, military police arrested four suspects from the military's strategic intelligence agency, while National Police mentioned just two. This questioned the coordination between agencies, and worry the pro might not reach those who planned it. Amnesty International notes hundreds of similar attacks on activists, journalists, and influencers this year with none fully solved. Civil society now pushes for an independent fact-finding team to protect democracy and ensure real accountability in Indonesia.