TNI Responds to Allegations of Member Involvement in Andrie Acid Attack Case

TNI Headquarters is investigating allegations that military personnel were involved in an acid attack on Andrie Yunus, Deputy Coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS).

“We note there is public speculation suggesting the perpetrator is from the TNI. I should clarify that since the incident occurred, the TNI has responded by conducting an internal investigation,” said TNI Spokesperson Major General Aulia Dwi Nasrullah to journalists on Wednesday (18 March).

According to Aulia, the investigation involves various units within the armed forces. He stated that the investigation aims to determine whether there was or was not involvement by TNI members, as suggested by public opinion.

“This will naturally involve several units. Given that we will conduct an internal investigation, we will examine how the results relate to the public speculation that has emerged,” he said.

However, Aulia did not disclose how far the internal investigation had progressed. He only stated that the investigation would be conducted professionally and transparently.

“The TNI operates professionally and transparently. We will see the results of the internal investigation we conduct,” he said.

Previously, Andrie Yunus, Deputy Coordinator of KontraS, was attacked with acid in the Central Jakarta area on Thursday night (12 March). KontraS Coordinator Dimas Bagus Arya stated that the incident occurred after Andrie Yunus attended a podcast event titled “Remilitarisation and Judicial Review in Indonesia” at the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) office, around 23:00 Western Indonesian Time.

Following the incident, Andrie was immediately taken to hospital for medical treatment.

The acid attack has been elevated to the investigation stage. Based on case proceedings, police identified criminal elements in accordance with Article 467(2) and/or Article 468(1) of the Criminal Code.

From preliminary investigation results, police report the acid attack was allegedly carried out by four perpetrators. Police are currently gathering evidence and awaiting forensic laboratory testing on evidence found at the scene.