Deputy Human Rights Minister: Do Not Limit to Detaining 4 BAIS TNI Members, Uncover All Involved Actors
Deputy Human Rights Minister Mugiyanto has stressed that the investigation into four BAIS TNI members must open the possibility of other perpetrators and trace the actors behind the acid attack on activist Andrie Yunus.
“The process must be able to uncover everyone involved, including if there are parties who planned or controlled it,” he told reporters on Thursday (19/3).
He emphasised the importance of openness to public oversight as well as protection for victims and witnesses. According to him, violence against human rights defenders is not merely an individual attack, but a threat to the quality of democracy.
“Every act of violence against human rights defenders has a broad impact on public participation space and the quality of democracy,” he said.
Mugiyanto also highlighted the emergence of differing information between Polri and TNI that could confuse the public.
“It is important to ensure strong coordination and data consistency among law enforcement apparatus to avoid confusion and maintain the integrity of the legal process,” he asserted.
He welcomed the formation of the Working Committee (Panja) by Commission III of the DPR RI as a positive step in overseeing this case.
“I hope the Panja can make this case even clearer without exception,” he said.
Mugiyanto also appreciated the swift response of law enforcement apparatus, both Polri and TNI, in handling the case. However, he reminded that the handling must not stop at merely uncovering the perpetrators.
“The ongoing legal process must ensure the principles of transparency, accountability, and justice, so as not only to resolve the incident, but also to strengthen public trust,” he stated.
In an institutional context, Mugiyanto assessed that the TNI needs to carry out serious internal reforms, particularly in enforcing discipline, including in the intelligence environment.
“Reorganisation and strengthening of internal discipline must be carried out consistently to maintain the honour of the institution and public trust,” he said.
He added that this incident must become a momentum to strengthen the human rights perspective in the education and development of state apparatus, including the military. The Human Rights Ministry will continue to monitor the legal process to ensure it runs in accordance with human rights principles and applicable regulations.
“The success of handling this case is not only measured by the punishment of the perpetrators, but also by the state’s ability to prevent similar incidents from recurring,” he concluded.
The name Andrie Yunus has come under spotlight after a series of intimidations he experienced. This Deputy External Coordinator of the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) is known for actively advocating various human rights violation cases and criticising state security policies.