(San Francisco, March 13, 2026) – The Indonesian government should ensure an independent, impartial, transparent, and thorough investigation into the March 12 acid attack against the prominent human rights activist Andrie Yunus, Climate Rights International said today. The government must hold the perpetrators and authors of this horrific crime accountable, end its public attacks against human rights and environmental defenders, and halt efforts to adopt legislation that would restrict or criminalize the peaceful activities of independent NGOs.

Late in the evening of March 12, Andrie Yunus, Deputy External Affairs Coordinator of the NGO KontraS (the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence), was attacked with acid by two unidentified individuals on a motorcycle. Yunus reportedly suffered severe burns on his face, hands, chest, and eyes. Yunus was returning home after recording a podcast episode with the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) on increasing militarization in Indonesia.

“The horrific attack on Andrie Yunus is a warning sign: civil society activists in Indonesia are under growing threat and face serious risks for their work that harken back to darker times,” said Brad Adams, Executive Director at Climate Rights International. “This attack comes amidst efforts by President Prabowo and his administration to increase militarization and shrink civic space in Indonesia. There are widespread fears that Prabowo will try to turn back the clock to the more repressive policies of Indonesia’s dark, autocratic past.”

Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights, Komnas HAM, described the attack as a violation of the constitutional right to security. It called for a formal investigation, protection for Yunus and others through the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK), and support for Yunus’s rehabilitation. Anis Hidayah, Chairperson of Komnas HAM, suggested that “the attack is likely part of a broader campaign targeting human rights defenders.”

The attack on Yunus comes after multiple new and proposed policies under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration that increase militarization and undermine civic space in the country. With virtually no public consultation, on March 20, 2025, the Indonesian parliament unanimously adopted provisions to amend the landmark 2004 National Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia or TNI) Act, Law No. 34/2004. The amendments significantly expand the military’s role in civilian governance and weaken legal checks on abusive officials. Members of KontraS, Andrie Yunus’ organization, reported that some of its members had received threats after they protested against the armed forces law last year.

In January 2026, the Ministry of Law released an academic manuscript justifying the development of a Bill on Combatting Disinformation and Foreign Propaganda. While there is no currently available public draft of the proposed legislation, leading Indonesian human rights organizations say they are deeply concerned that it could be used to criminalize members of local communities, journalists, activists, and civil society groups critical of the Indonesian government. President Prabowo has been outspoken in favor of the proposed law and concerns over “foreign propagandists,” including a statement he made today, after the attack on Yunus.

In light of the attack on Yunus, Indonesian lawmakers should strengthen protections for human rights and environmental defenders by investigating all reported attacks, prosecuting perpetrators, and adopting and enforcing anti-SLAPP legislation. They should also oppose the Bill on Combatting Disinformation and Foreign Propaganda due to the serious risks it poses to rights defenders, journalists, and civil society.

“Human rights activists like Andrie Yunus should be lauded for their brave activism instead of facing potentially deadly attacks,” said Adams. “The government should be bringing in legislation to protect civil society instead of coming up with new repressive laws. President Prabowo should praise people who are trying to protect the rights of vulnerable communities instead of demonizing them with his rhetoric. And foreign governments who consider themselves to be friends of Indonesia need to speak out before the gains of the post-Suharto period are lost.”