Intellectual Actors Behind Andrie Yunus Acid Attack Must Be Revealed, Anies: Prove It Now

Jakarta - Former Governor of DKI Jakarta, Anies Baswedan, has urged law enforcement authorities to thoroughly investigate the case of the acid attack on KontraS activist Andrie Yunus. Anies stressed the importance of revealing the intellectual actors or those who gave the orders behind the action involving rogue TNI members. “This incident must be investigated all the way to those who issued the commands,” Anies said after holding an Open House for Eid 2026 at his residence in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, on Saturday (21/03/2026). Anies assessed that law enforcement in the past often stopped at the field-level perpetrators or “the most downstream” ones. “Don’t let it repeat like the incidents that often happen. Those who get punished are always the most downstream perpetrators. The upstream ones never, or very rarely. Now, prove it,” Anies stated. According to Anies, the acid attack on the Deputy Coordinator of KontraS was not an ordinary criminal act. He viewed this action as an attack on an individual who is fighting for democratic values in Indonesia. Anies believes that such an action could not have been carried out sporadically by one or two people alone without careful planning. He also agreed with President Prabowo Subianto’s statement categorising this case as an act of terrorism. “His (the President’s) stance committing to conduct an investigation must be realised by all law enforcement apparatus,” he emphasised. It was previously reported that Andrie Yunus became a victim of an acid attack by unknown persons in the Senen area, Central Jakarta, on Thursday night (12/03/2026). As a result of the attack, the victim suffered serious burns to his eyes, face, chest, and hands. The TNI Military Police Centre (Puspom) has secured four soldiers suspected of being involved in the action. “They are from the Navy and Air Force. The four soldiers have been secured and detained at Pomdam Jaya,” said TNI Chief of Staff Major General TNI Yusri Nuryanto last Wednesday. Until now, the TNI Puspom is still delving into the motives and roles of each perpetrator in this case that has shocked the public ahead of Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijriah.