Rising Intimidation Stirs Concerns Over Free Speech in Indonesia

Amid concerns over freedom of speech in Indonesia, a Molotov cocktail attack and other intimidation tactics targeting critics of government policies, particularly surrounding Sumatra's flooding crisis, have alarmed human rights advocates. Such acts are seen as threats to democratic principles and the right to express dissenting views.

A Molotov cocktail attack targeting an Indonesian government critic has accentuated rising threats to free speech, rights campaigners said. The assault adds to a pattern of intimidation, unsettling advocates of democracy in Southeast Asia's largest nation.

Mounting criticism of the government's handling of deadly flooding in northern Sumatra province has sparked these hostile acts. Rights groups released a statement condemning them as assaults on freedoms enshrined in Indonesia's constitution. Angga Raka Prabowo, leading the government communication office, assured that all forms of intimidation would be met with legal response.

Despite the absence of official police comments and mixed signals from national leadership, activists remain firm in their critique. Meanwhile, social media figures and activists, like DJ Donny and those linked with Greenpeace, face continued threats, underscoring the escalating tensions between state policies and civil rights advocacy in Indonesia.

(With inputs from agencies.)