Legislator Demands Revelation of Mastermind Behind Acid Attack on Andrie Yunus

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - A member of the House of Representatives Commission XIII from the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction, Mafirion, has called on the police to reveal the mastermind behind the acid attack on Andrie Yunus, Vice Coordinator of the External Division of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras). Mafirion is pushing for the motives in this case to be uncovered transparently. “We appreciate the revelation of the perpetrator. However, the handling of this case must not stop at the field perpetrator alone. Law enforcement authorities must uncover who the intellectual actor is behind this incident, while also openly revealing the motives for the violent act,” Mafirion stated in his remarks on Wednesday (18/3/2026). If the intellectual actor is not uncovered, said Mafirion, law enforcement could potentially fail to address the root of the problem. “If only the field perpetrator is prosecuted, there is a risk that similar practices will recur. Uncovering the mastermind means breaking the chain of violence and providing a stronger deterrent effect,” he emphasised. This PKB politician also highlighted the transparency of the motives to determine the connection between the acid attack and efforts to silence human rights advocacy work. “The motives must be disclosed to the public. Is this a form of intimidation against human rights activists, or are there other interests? This is important to ensure that the state does not lose to terror practices that threaten civil liberties,” Mafirion continued. Furthermore, he assessed that the involvement of state apparatus in the Andrie Yunus case serves as a serious warning for human rights protection in Indonesia. According to him, this incident signals that human rights activists remain vulnerable to violence. It also shows that there are real threats to human rights enforcement and democracy in Indonesia. “The fact that the perpetrator comes from a state institution indicates that there are still threats to human rights enforcement, even from parties that should be protectors,” Mafirion said. Mafirion emphasised that it is time for the state to demonstrate courage, not just procedures. He urged law enforcement authorities to trace it to the root to dismantle who ordered it, who funded it, and who benefited.