In late April 2026, Indonesian officials announced plans to amend the country’s 1999 Human Rights Law to allow authorities to determine who qualifies as a recognized human rights defender. Human Rights Watch warned that such revisions would violate fundamental freedoms of expression and association, placing defenders at greater risk. The proposal followed public outcry after rights activist Andrie Yunus was attacked with acid in Jakarta, allegedly by soldiers. Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai suggested creating a team of assessors to evaluate whether someone is a “genuine” activist, but critics argued this would enable the government to silence dissent.
Pigai stated that legal protection would only be granted to those defending public interests without personal or commercial motives, excluding activists paid for their work. This raised concerns that nongovernmental organizations promoting human rights could be undermined. Civil society leaders, including Muhammad Isnur of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, warned that the government should not have authority to screen defenders, as it is often the subject of rights violations itself. Journalists and members of Komnas HAM, Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights, also criticized the proposal, noting conflicts of interest and the risk of weakening independent oversight.
The draft amendments would further reduce Komnas HAM’s authority by merging it with other commissions, including those on women’s rights and child protection, diluting their mandates. The government is also preparing a Bill on Combating Disinformation and Foreign Propaganda, which would allow authorities to label criticism as propaganda, raising fears of censorship.
These proposals come amid repeated attacks on activists in Indonesia, including the acid assault on Yunus, the shooting of lawyer Yan Christian Warinussy in 2024, and arrests of environmental and anti‑corruption activists in 2025. Human Rights Watch emphasized that under the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, anyone who peacefully opposes rights violations qualifies as a defender. Restricting recognition or penalizing professional defenders would breach Indonesia’s obligations under international treaties.
Human Rights Watch urged President Prabowo Subianto to reject attempts to limit rights defenders, stressing that protecting those who promote human rights — including government critics — benefits society as a whole.
