Demanding Accountability in the Activists' Acid-Spraying Case: A Test for the TNI and an Opportunity for the Police

Postgraduate students from the Faculty of Law specialising in Human Rights and Governance at Universitas Indonesia’s Pangeran Mangkubumi campus have responded to the case of the acid-spraying attack on Kontras activist Andrie Yunus. According to Pangeran, the involvement of personnel from the TNI’s Strategic Intelligence Agency (Bais) transforms the case from a mere ordinary criminal matter into an institutional test for the TNI as an entity that upholds corps discipline and honour. For Pangeran, this also serves as a test for the national law enforcement system, which is based on the principle of equality before the law. “In the framework of a democratic state, there is no room for impunity. This principle is not a normative slogan, but the foundation of the legitimacy of power itself,” stated Pangeran in Jakarta on Friday (27/3/2026). According to him, when serious allegations of violations emerge from within state institutions, the response taken will determine the direction of public trust. “Whether the state is present as a guarantor of justice, or instead as an entity that fails to control its own apparatus,” said Pangeran. Meanwhile, Pangeran stated that the most fundamental step that must be taken immediately is to open a transparent, independent, and accountable investigation process. Handling it in a closed manner will only widen the gap of distrust. On the contrary, according to him, openness is not a form of weakening the institution, but rather a strengthening of its professionalism and integrity. Pangeran also believes that internal TNI accountability alone is not sufficient. This is because the alleged criminal acts still fall under the jurisdiction of general criminal law.