Police Must Not Dismiss the Caustic Soda Attack on Andrie Yunus Lightly
The Ministry of Human Rights (KemenHAM) has requested that law enforcement accelerate their investigation into the caustic soda attack against Andrie Yunus, Deputy Coordinator of the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (Kontras). The government views the resolution of this case as crucial for maintaining Indonesia’s credibility in its human rights protection commitments.
Deputy Human Rights Minister Mugiyanto reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting freedom of expression and civil discourse. “I want to reiterate that the government’s commitment to the protection and respect of human rights, including the right to freedom of expression, the right to voice opinions, and the right to peaceful assembly remains unchanged,” Mugiyanto told Media Indonesia on Monday (16 March).
He further emphasised that this commitment aligns with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Indonesia ratified through Law Number 12 of 2005. According to him, respect for public criticism is an essential part of the checks and balances mechanism in democratic life. “Respect for critical voices and criticism from all segments of society is a checks and balances mechanism for the improvement of national and state life,” said Mugiyanto.
Regarding the attack on Andrie Yunus, Mugiyanto stated that the government recognises the case has also attracted international attention, including from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor. “This incident has become a concern for UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and UN Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor. This certainly disrupts Indonesia’s position as a member of the UN Human Rights Council and as President of the UN Human Rights Council,” he said.
Consequently, KemenHAM has communicated with the Indonesian National Police (Polri) and requested an acceleration of the investigation to identify the perpetrators and motivations behind the attack. “We have communicated with Polri and requested that investigations be expedited to determine who the perpetrators are, what their motives are, who is behind it, and to ensure strong law enforcement so that incidents of intimidation, terror, and violence against human rights defenders do not continue to occur,” said Mugiyanto.
He also emphasised that quickly resolving the case is essential to prevent speculation that could damage public confidence in the government’s commitment to human rights protection. “The acceleration of investigations and the disclosure of clear and comprehensive information is urgently needed by the police so that speculation and wild narratives do not occur, which ultimately undermine the government’s commitment to respecting and protecting human rights,” he said.
Additionally, Mugiyanto reminded security personnel not to treat the case as a minor matter. “Security officials must not regard this as a small issue. This is a major matter that could damage the credibility of the Indonesian nation,” he said.
KemenHAM also appreciated public participation in helping to expose the case through circulating CCTV footage. However, he reminded the public to await the official investigation results from law enforcement authorities. “In an era of increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence technology, we must all rely on the official investigation results by law enforcement authorities, in this case the police,” said Mugiyanto.
Furthermore, KemenHAM expressed deep sympathy and solidarity with Andrie Yunus and assured that the state would cover all medical treatment and recovery costs until fully completed. “The Ministry of Human Rights expresses deep sympathy and solidarity with Andrie Yunus and prays for his swift recovery with the best care. The state will bear the costs of treatment and recovery until complete,” said Mugiyanto.
The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) Ansor condemned the violent incident against Andrie Yunus, victim of the caustic soda attack by irresponsible parties. The Garuda Astacita Nusantara (GAN) organisation strongly denounced the attack on Kontras activist Andrie Yunus that occurred on Thursday (12 March) in the Salemba area, Central Jakarta.
The Metro Jaya Regional Police are conducting a thorough investigation into the caustic soda attack on Kontras activist Andrie Yunus through scientific crime investigation under direct orders from President Prabowo. The attack is believed to have been meticulously planned.
President Prabowo Subianto issued a direct order to National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo to thoroughly investigate the attack on Kontras activist Andrie Yunus. Kontras has urged the disclosure of the perpetrators of the caustic soda attack against Andrie Yunus, Deputy Coordinator of the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence.