Parta said the incident should not be viewed as ordinary crime but as a warning regarding the safety of human rights defenders and the integrity of Indonesia’s democratic space.
“Attacks on human rights activists are attacks on the rule of law. They play a key role in ensuring government accountability and protecting citizens’ rights,” he said in a statement received in Jakarta on Saturday.
As a member of Parliament overseeing law enforcement, he stressed that authorities must treat the case as a top priority. “The state must ensure defenders can work free from threats of violence,” Parta said.
He urged investigations to be professional, transparent and accountable, capable of revealing motives and potential masterminds behind the Thursday night (March 12) attack.
Past experience shows violence against activists often raises public concerns if law enforcement processes are neither open nor thorough, he noted.
“This case must be investigated to its root. It is not enough to catch the field attackers. Any hidden actors must also be exposed for legal certainty and justice,” Parta said.
He recalled Indonesia’s painful history of violence against activists and law enforcers, including the murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib, labor activist Marsinah, and the acid attack on former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigator Novel Baswedan.
“History shows violence against those pursuing justice severely affects public trust. We must prevent such practices from repeating,” he said.
Parta warned that failing to handle such cases seriously could intimidate civil society, restrict public criticism, and reduce confidence in law enforcement institutions.
He also said incidents like this could affect Indonesia’s reputation as a democracy that respects civil freedoms.
“Indonesia is a major democracy in the region. Protecting human rights defenders must be a concrete state commitment,” he emphasized.
Andrie Yunus, deputy coordinator of KontraS, suffered burns on about 24 percent of his body, including his eyes, after unidentified attackers threw acid at him.
The attack occurred shortly after Yunus finished recording a podcast at the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) discussing militarism and a judicial review of the military law.
Initial reports indicate that around 11:37 p.m. local time, Yunus was riding a motorcycle on Salemba I Street, Central Jakarta, when two assailants on another motorcycle approached and sprayed him with acid before fleeing.
He was immediately taken to hospital for emergency treatment, with doctors focusing on eye injuries caused by the corrosive liquid.
Related news: Indonesia’s KontraS urges probe after activist hurt in acid attack
Translator: Fath PM, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: M Razi Rahman
Copyright © ANTARA 2026
Source link
