Indonesian activists defiant following acid attack on rights defender

An activist holds a poster during a demonstration in support of Andrie Yunus, a staff member of Indonesian human rights NGO KONTRAS (Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence), who was attacked with acid by an unidentified person, in Yogyakarta, March 14, 2026. Two men on a motorbike threw acid in the face of an Indonesian rights activist, leaving him badly hurt and prompting calls on March 13 for a thorough investigation amid concerns of democratic backsliding in the country. - AFP

JAKARTA: Civil groups have denounced the acid attack against human rights defender Andrie Yunus as a cowardly act aimed at silencing government critics, saying they will not bow down to any intimidation threatening their work.

Andrie, who works at rights group the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) as deputy coordinator, was attacked by two unidentified men on a motorbike with acid shortly before midnight on Thursday (March 12), when he was riding his motorcycle along Jl. Salemba I in Central Jakarta.