Jakarta, Thekabarnews.com—Concerns about democratic freedoms in Indonesia have grown since President Prabowo Subianto made comments aimed at critics shortly after an acid attack on Andrie Yunus, a well-known activist from The Commission of Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS).

Many people have spoken out against the attack that happened on March 12. The day after the event, Prabowo told his cabinet that he wanted to “discipline” analysts and commentators who he thinks are “unpatriotic.” Civil society groups have been very critical of this statement.

The Public Virtue Research Institute (PVRI) said that the statement was a big danger to democracy. Usman Hamid, who runs PVRI, said that this kind of talk could put activists, academics, students, and regular people who speak out in danger.

Usman says that calling people who do not agree with you “disorderly” could be bad for democracy. He said that people should not see criticism as a threat because it helps individuals be honest.

“This kind of statement could mess up the legal system and make people less likely to trust the police,” he said, as quoted in Tempo.

The acid attack on Andrie Yunus has also made people more worried about a larger pattern of threats. Activists say the incident is just one more threat against people who speak out. It comes after months of threats against journalists and public figures.

PVRI executive director Muhammad Naziful Haq said that the trend showed “growing political thuggery.”

He said that putting critics into groups based on how patriotic they seem could be dangerous. Such an approach is because it would make people afraid to speak out.

“This story could mean that people who agree are safe and people who do not should be quiet,” Naziful said.

He also said that in the past, “discipline” in politics often meant using violence. This violence scared people and made them afraid to speak their minds and disagree.

Zikra Wahyudi, a researcher at PVRI, also said that if the government does not do anything about the violence against critics, people may lose even more faith in it.

He was curious if the police could punish people for doing these things if they keep happening.

President Prabowo, head of the Gerindra Party, said some of his critics won’t discuss their reasons, like money or politics.

He also said that he had intelligence reports that named the people who were behind important stories. This might mean that he will do something about it later.

The argument shows that there is more and more conflict between political power and democratic freedoms in Indonesia.

As the investigation into the acid attack continues, people are talking about how important it is to protect free speech. It is also important to ensure that victims of violence receive justice. Many people are telling the Indonesian government to let people speak up instead of shutting them down.

They think that protecting free speech is important for a healthy democracy. It also allows those who have suffered from violence to voice their concerns without fear of repercussions. This event will show how serious the country is about democracy.

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