15/03/2026

theSun on Sunday MAR 15, 2026

WORLD 7

Calls for justice mount as activist hurt in acid attack

Prabowo eyes work from home option JAKARTA: Indonesia may implement work from home arrangements as a precautionary measure to reduce fuel consumption amid rising oil prices. President Prabowo Subianto has tasked officials to study the possibility of adopting such steps. “We can review this matter. We must also make efforts to save. I believe that in two to three years we will be very strong but we must still reduce consumption,” he told a Cabinet meeting on Friday. Prabowo said the government must remain vigilant over developments in Europe and West Asia, warning that higher fuel prices could have knock-on effects on food prices even though Indonesia’s basic food supply remains secure. “Developments are taking place globally in regions such as Europe and the Middle East, and this will certainly affect us because it may influence fuel prices. Fuel prices can also affect food prices. Thank God we have secured our basic food supply,” he said. The president also stressed the importance of maintaining fiscal discipline and expressed hope that the government could prevent the state budget deficit from widening. “Our aspiration is that if possible we should not have a deficit. Our target is for the state budget to achieve a balanced budget, which would be ideal and I believe we can achieve it.” Prabowo said the government is also accelerating plans to strengthen fuel reserves and urged officials to take proactive measures to anticipate potential global disruptions. – Bernama Singapore all for regional response SINGAPORE: The city-state expressed support for the Philippines as the Asean chair, in coordinating a regional response to mitigate the impact of conflicts. Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan said the impact is far-reaching and will be compounded the longer the West Asia conflict continues. “In such difficult times, Asean must stand together. “Singapore will continue working closely with Asean partners to safeguard the well-being of our citizens and other Asean nationals during this challenging time,” he said in a Facebook post. Asean Foreign Ministers on Friday called for diplomatic and peaceful solutions to address the escalating crisis in West Asia, warning of potential impact on energy prices, inflation and food security. The ministers expressed serious concern in a statement issued on Friday following a special meeting on the situation in West Asia. Balakrishnan said the meeting also discussed the conflict’s impact on energy markets and maritime transport routes and the importance of strengthening regional energy security and economic resilience. “Diversifying energy sources, including through renewable energy and the Asean Power Grid, will strengthen Asean’s ability to weather crises over the long term.” He also emphasised that Asean member states would support one another during the crisis. This was demonstrated by Singapore’s move to extend available seats on its evacuation flights to nationals from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. – Bernama

JAKARTA: Two men on a motorcycle threw acid on the face of an Indonesian rights activist, leaving him badly hurt and prompting calls for a thorough ‘An attack on democracy’

a stable government after years of political volatility. Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene today to endorse a new house speaker and two deputy speakers. Deputy Prime Minister Sophon Zaram, a veteran Bhumjaithai politician, told reporters on Thursday that the party had nominated him for the speaker’s post. The new speaker is expected to schedule a parliamentary session to vote in the prime minister. Bhumjaithai deputy leader Siripong Angkasakulkiat said the vote for prime minister will likely take place on Thursday. – Reuters Andrie was riding a motorcycle when he was approached by two men on a scooter, one of whom threw acid at him, according to KontraS coordinator Dimas Bagus Arya. Both attackers had their faces concealed. Andrie, who had previously received threats for his activism, was rushed to hospital with burns to 24% of his body, said Dimas. “We view this acid attack as an attempt to silence critical voices in society,“ he said. UN rights chief Volker Turk said he was “deeply concerned” by the “horrific acid attack”. “Those responsible for this cowardly act of violence must be held to account,“ he said on X. Human rights defenders “must be protected in their vital work and able to raise without fear issues of public concern.” Andrie has been a vocal critic of moves to increase the influence of the military in the Indonesian government and had just finished recording a podcast on the topic when he was attacked. Dimas, the coordinator, urged police “to identify the perpetrators and motives behind the attack” as soon as possible. Jakarta police spokesman Budi Hermanto said an investigation has been opened. UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders Mary Lawlor also called for a thorough investigation into the attack, saying in an X post on Friday that impunity for violence against human rights defenders was “unacceptable”. Law and Human Rights Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the incident was “an attack on democracy” and pledged that the perpetrators will be brought to justice. “Acts of violence like this must not be tolerated. Whoever the perpetrators are, whatever their motive, (they) must be prosecuted according to the law,“ Yusril said in a statement. In its latest report on Southeast Asia’s biggest economy, Human Rights Watch said Indonesia under President Prabowo Subianto, an ex-general in office since 2024, “has undergone further democratic backsliding, crackdowns on protests, media censorship, and intimidation of activists”. – AFP

investigation of democratic backsliding in the country. Andrie Yunus, deputy coordinator of the KontraS rights group, sustained serious injuries to his face, an eye, hands and chest in the attack in Jakarta late Thursday. amid concerns

STOP ATTACKS ... A Filipina protesting in Quezon City on Friday. – REUTERSPIC

Thai parliament opens amid scrutiny over ballots BANGKOK: Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn opened parliament yesterday as last month’s general election result faces court scrutiny over barcodes on the ballots that may have violated the law. potentially be used to identify which party or candidate a given voter had chosen. The court annulled a 2006 election on the grounds that the voting process had not been conducted in secret.

The Election Commission has said the barcodes were included for security purposes and that identifying a voter would require access to the upper half of the ballots, which were securely stored. Bhumjaithai, which won at least 191 seats in the 500-member parliament, has said it will form a ruling coalition with the third-place Pheu Thai Party and several smaller groups, giving the alliance more than 290 seats and raising the prospect of

The barcodes might undermine the secrecy of the ballot, said the country’s Office of the Ombudsman, which petitioned the Constitutional Court to consider the case. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai Party won a clear victory in the Feb 8 election, but the ombudsman said late on Friday that there had been 21 complaints from the public that barcodes and QR codes on the ballots could