Habiburokhman: Acid Attack on Andrie Yunus is Resistance to Prabowo
JAKARTA — The Chair of Commission III of the People’s Consultative Assembly (DPR RI), Habiburokhman, stated that the acid attack against KontraS activist Andrie Yunus represents a form of resistance to President Prabowo Subianto’s government commitment to strengthening human rights protections (HAM).
Habiburokhman said that Commission III views the incident not merely as ordinary criminal conduct, but as an attempt to obstruct the government’s human rights protection agenda.
“Commission III of the DPR RI affirms that the acid attack against Andrie Yunus is a form of resistance or opposition to President Prabowo’s administration’s commitment to maximise the protection, advancement, and realisation of Human Rights in order to support the execution of the legislative function mandated to the DPR RI as outlined in the Asta Cita,” Habiburokhman stated at the DPR RI Building in Jakarta on Monday (16 March 2026).
“The acid attack is not merely ordinary crime but a crime against democracy,” Habiburokhman added.
Furthermore, Commission III has requested that police authorities thoroughly investigate the case swiftly and professionally. The Gerindra politician emphasised that the matter should not end with the arrest of perpetrators but must extend to the intellectual actors who ordered the attack.
“Commission III of the DPR RI requests that the National Police conduct a thorough, transparent and professional investigation into the acid attack on Andrie Yunus and swiftly identify and apprehend all those involved, whether they planned, ordered, executed, or assisted in the act in accordance with applicable law,” Habiburokhman clarified.
Dimas Bagus Arya, Coordinator of KontraS’s Board of Working Members, stated that the attack caused Yunus to suffer serious injuries to several parts of his body, particularly his right and left hands, face, chest, and eye area.
The incident occurred shortly after Andrie finished recording a podcast at the office of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Indonesia) with the title “Remilitarisation and Judicial Review in Indonesia.” The recording session concluded around 23:00 WIB. Following the attack, Yunus was immediately taken to hospital for medical treatment, where examination revealed burns covering approximately 24 per cent of his body.
Dimas viewed the attack as an attempt to silence critical voices in society, particularly human rights defenders.
“Based on information we have gathered, we believe that this acid attack represents an attempt to silence critical voices in society, especially human rights defenders,” Dimas stated.
The President requested that the case be handled professionally, transparently, and with emphasis on scientific crime investigation. National Police Chief Sigit affirmed police commitment to executing this directive. The National Police has also established a public complaint centre to gather information related to the incident.
“Whether through the complaint centre or the National Police Public Relations office, we are requesting information to be provided as this has become a serious matter of concern for the President,” Sigit stated at Surabaya Gubeng Major Station, East Java, on Sunday (15 March 2026).