Academic Appreciates TNI for Arresting Four Personnel Involved in Acid Attack on Activist
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Professor of Politics and Security at Universitas Padjadjaran, Muradi, has appreciated the rapid performance of the Indonesian National Armed Forces’ Military Police Centre (Puspom TNI) in arresting and examining four TNI personnel suspected of being perpetrators in the acid-throwing incident against an activist.
According to him, the case affecting Kontras Deputy Coordinator Andrie Yunus is not an easy matter to handle, especially considering the developing situation.
“Besides being appreciated, the Puspom TNI colleagues must dig deeper to identify the intellectual actors and ensure this case is handled more transparently,” Muradi said in a statement received in Jakarta on Thursday.
Muradi hopes that the TNI can guarantee that similar cases do not recur and that the subsequent process of arresting the TNI members must be open and accessible to the public, especially during the trial of the perpetrators.
Andrie Yunus is one of the activists who interrupted the meeting discussing the TNI Bill held by Commission I of the House of Representatives (DPR) RI and the government at the Fairmont Hotel, Jakarta, on 15 March 2025.
He, along with several representatives from the Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform, briefly entered the meeting room and expressed rejection of the TNI Law revision.
Legal practitioner Agus Widjajanto highlighted the objections from several human rights activists and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) regarding the passage of the TNI Law due to the addition of two authorities.
Agus revealed that three articles were passed at that time. First, Article 3 concerning the position of the TNI in national defence strategy, which is administratively under the Ministry of Defence.
Second, Article 7 on tasks and operations other than war, where there are two additional authorities from the previous 14, namely helping to address cyber security and assisting in protecting or rescuing Indonesian citizens (WNI) abroad.
“These authorities are indeed within the realm of national defence, not public order and security, so what is the issue. Suppose there is a hijacking at the Indonesian Embassy abroad, that is indeed the military’s domain to intervene,” said Agus.
“So, it’s reasonable. What is the problem?” he added.
Previously, Puspom TNI detained four TNI personnel suspected of involvement in the acid-throwing case against Andrie Yunus.
“Now, the four suspected suspects have been secured at Puspom TNI for further investigation to the investigation level,” said Puspom TNI Commander Major General TNI Yusri Nuryanto in Jakarta on Wednesday (18/3).
The four individuals detained by Puspom TNI are TNI members serving at the Headquarters Detachment of the Strategic Intelligence Agency (Denma BAIS) TNI. The four perpetrators are initialled NDP, SL, BWH, and ES.
However, Yusri could not yet disclose the motive for the acid-throwing, as the examination process is still ongoing.