Indonesia President Prabowo calls acid attack on activist ‘terrorism’
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Activists from the Advocacy Team for Democracy hold up posters in support of Mr Andrie Yunus at a press conference in Central Jakarta on Mar 16.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE INDONESIA LEGAL AID FOUNDATION
Jakarta - An acid attack that maimed an Indonesian rights activist was an act of terror, President Prabowo Subianto said, vowing accountability.
Mr Andrie Yunus, deputy coordinator of Jakarta-based non-governmental organisation KontraS, was riding a motorbike last week when he was approached by two men on a scooter, one of whom threw acid at him, according to the group.
He suffered injuries to his face, an eye, hands and torso.
“This is terrorism, isn’t it? A barbaric act. We must pursue (the matter),” Mr Prabowo said in an interview posted on March 19 on his personal YouTube channel.
The former general vowed to “uphold the law” regardless of who was behind the attack.
The military detained four soldiers from the armed forces’ intelligence unit on March 18, suspecting their involvement.
The same day, the Jakarta police released CCTV footage showing the faces of two people suspected of attacking Mr Andrie. Their links to the detained soldiers were unclear.
Mr Andrie has repeatedly taken issue with the military’s influence in the government and had recorded a podcast on the topic shortly before the attack.
Lawmakers agreed on March 18 to form a special committee to oversee the handling of the case.
UN rights chief Volker Turk said last week he was “deeply concerned” by the “horrific” attack and called for accountability.
Indonesia “has undergone further democratic backsliding, crackdowns on protests, media censorship and intimidation of activists” under Mr Prabowo, Human Rights Watch said in its latest report on the country. AFP
