Multiple DPR Members Condemn Caustic Acid Attack on KontraS Activist

Multiple members of the House of Representatives have condemned the alleged caustic acid attack against Andrie Yunus, Deputy Coordinator of KontraS, which took place in the Salemba district of Central Jakarta on the evening of Thursday, 12 March.

They have called upon the police to conduct a thorough investigation into the acid attack.

Andreas Hugo Pareira, Deputy Chair of Commission XIII of the House of Representatives from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) faction, characterised the incident as an attempt to silence critical voices in society, particularly human rights defenders.

“The police apparatus must immediately conduct an investigation to identify the perpetrator and the motives behind this brutal and inhumane attack,” Andreas stated when contacted on Friday, 13 March.

Ahmad Sahroni, Deputy Chair of Commission III of the House of Representatives from the National Democrat faction (NasDem), described the incident as damaging to the country’s democratic climate, particularly if the attack was motivated by the victim’s activism.

“Therefore, I am calling on the police to thoroughly investigate who the perpetrator and the mastermind behind this attack are, and to reveal the motive clearly,” Sahroni said.

Rudianto Lallo, a member of Commission III of the House of Representatives from the NasDem faction, expressed his concern and urged that the case be investigated transparently and the perpetrators be apprehended quickly.

According to Lallo, acts of violence and attempted physical injury through caustic acid attacks constitute criminal behaviour that must be held accountable.

“This incident must be uncovered—it must be revealed who the perpetrator is and what the motive behind the acid attack is,” he said.

Abdullah, a member of Commission III of the House of Representatives from the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction, also strongly condemned the caustic acid attack on Andrie Yunus. According to him, such actions constitute serious crimes that should not be tolerated in a democratic nation governed by law.

According to the legislator, commonly known as Abduh, the attack on Andrie Yunus not only threatens the personal safety of the victim but can also be interpreted as an act of terror against the space for democracy and civil liberties.

“I urge the Indonesian National Police to conduct a thorough, swift, professional and transparent investigation into this case and to apprehend the perpetrator along with the motive behind the attack,” he said.

Chronology of Events

Dimas Bagus Arya, Coordinator of KontraS, has disclosed the chronology of the acid attack on Andrie Yunus. The incident occurred after Yunus attended a podcast titled “Remilitarisation and Judicial Review in Indonesia” at the office of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute Foundation (YLBHI) on Salemba I Street on Thursday evening.

“He suffered an attack involving the pouring of caustic acid by unknown individuals, resulting in serious injuries across his body, particularly on his right and left hands, face, chest, and in the area around his eyes,” Arya stated in a written statement on Friday.

Dimas noted that as a result of the incident, Andrie was immediately taken to hospital for medical treatment. He reported that following an examination, Andrie was found to have sustained burns covering 24 per cent of his body.

According to CCTV footage obtained, the timecode indicated the incident occurred at approximately 23.30 WIB (Western Indonesian Time).

The footage initially shows two men on a single motorcycle who slow down and reverse direction. The passenger, who was not wearing a helmet, allegedly then poured caustic acid towards the victim, who was riding his own motorcycle.

The victim immediately stopped and fell from his motorcycle, screaming in pain. Nearby residents approached to determine what had happened to the victim.

“The perpetrators were two men who carried out the attack using a single motorcycle, each serving as driver and passenger,” Arya stated.

He described the first suspected perpetrator as wearing a white and blue combination shirt, dark trousers believed to be jeans, and a black helmet.

The second perpetrator, the passenger, was wearing a face covering or mask resembling a black ‘buff’ that covered half the face, a dark blue shirt, and blue trousers folded to appear short and believed to be made of denim.

“One of the perpetrators then poured caustic acid towards the victim, hitting parts of his body. As a result of the attack, the victim immediately screamed in pain and dropped his motorcycle,” he explained.