TWO men on a motorbike threw acid in the face of an Indonesian rights activist, leaving him badly hurt and prompting calls for a thorough investigation amid concerns of democratic backsliding in the country.
Andrie Yunus, deputy coordinator of the KontraS rights group, sustained serious injuries to his face, eyes, hands and chest in the attack in Jakarta late Thursday.
Andrie was riding a motorbike when he was approached by the men, one of whom threw acid at him, said KontraS coordinator Dimas Bagus Arya. Both attackers had their faces concealed.
Andrie, who had previously received threats for his activism, was rushed to hospital with burns to 24% of his body, said Dimas.
“We view this acid attack as an attempt to silence critical voices in society,” Dimas added.
Andrie had been a vocal critic of moves to increase the influence of the military in the Indonesian government, and had just finished recording a podcast on the topic when he was attacked.
Dimas urged police “to identify the perpetrators and motives behind the attack” quickly.
Jakarta police said an investigation had been opened. — AFP
