Security observer values police capacity to reveal perpetrators of acid attack

Jakarta – A security and terrorism observer from the State Islamic University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Robi Sugara, has assessed that the police possess the capacity to swiftly uncover the perpetrators of the acid attack against KontraS (Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence) activist Andrie Yunus.

“With the capacity and capability they possess, the police ought to be able to promptly reveal the perpetrators of this case,” Robi stated in Jakarta on Tuesday.

According to him, case resolution should not stop at identifying field operatives but must trace through to those suspected of being intellectual actors orchestrating the assault.

“Police must swiftly apprehend the perpetrators and dismantle the network behind them, not merely arrest the ground-level operator,” he said.

Robi assessed that the acid-dousing method was deliberately employed to create prolonged terror effects given that it inflicts permanent scarring on victims.

“This approach creates long-term trauma because it leaves permanent physical marks. In many cases, the consequences can be more severe,” he noted.

He cautioned that the incident risks triggering public unrest should it not be promptly and transparently resolved. The public, he continued, may develop the perception that individuals who express critical views are vulnerable to violent targeting.

Moreover, Robi assessed that delayed case resolution also risks generating speculation that could damage the government and worsen the national security situation.

“Without clear official information, the public may engage in their own speculation on social media. This risks spawning wild opinions that further deteriorate the situation,” he remarked.

He also warned the public against hasty conclusions regarding those behind the attack.

“The public should not quickly accuse particular parties, such as military figures, merely because they dislike criticism,” Robi said.

To support case resolution, Robi recommended two strategic steps the police could pursue. Firstly, tightening surveillance of hazardous chemical distribution such as acid through stricter regulation.

Secondly, the police are asked to regularly and transparently communicate investigation developments to the public in order to maintain public trust.

He underscored that these measures are essential to ensure effective law enforcement whilst preventing similar violent acts from recurring in the future.