Song in the Air from Efek Rumah Kaca Accompanies Support Action for Andrie Yunus in Yogyakarta
The song “Di Udara” (In the Air) performed by Indonesian rock band Efek Rumah Kaca resonated softly among participants at a support rally in Yogyakarta for Andrie Yunus, Deputy Coordinator of KontraS (Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence), who was attacked with acid. The song, originally written to commemorate human rights activist Munir Said Thalib, appeared to encourage rally participants to remain fearless in their activism.
The rally was organised by the Indonesian Women’s Voice Community, which criticised the state for failing to provide adequate security and protection for civil society members and human rights defenders. Cila, a representative of the rally participants, stated that the attack on Andrie constituted a premeditated crime. She drew parallels to a similar attack on former KPK investigator Novel Baswedan.
“This incident adds to the long list of repression against critical voices,” she said at the Bundaran UGM area on Saturday, 14 March. Many such cases of repression, she noted, have not resulted in prosecution of those responsible.
Baharuddin Kamba, Head of Communications at Jogja Police Watch (JPW), strongly condemned the barbaric act, particularly as it occurred during the holy month of Ramadan. “We have strong suspicions that the acid attack on Andrie Yunus is related to his work as a human rights activist,” he stated, adding that they believe Andrie was deliberately targeted beforehand.
JPW called on President Prabowo Subianto to order Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo to swiftly arrest the perpetrators, conduct a thorough investigation, and apprehend those behind the attack. The organisation emphasised that such violence against activists represents a critical threat to democracy and called for the formation of a fact-finding team to investigate the case transparently and fairly.
The attack prompted widespread condemnation from civil society, with KontraS demanding the rapid disclosure of those responsible and reinforcing calls for comprehensive accountability in the investigation process.