Military intelligence chief steps down following acid attack on activist – Politics

A senior Indonesian Military (TNI) officer has stepped down following an acid attack on an activist known for his opposition to the military’s expanding role, a spokesperson said Thursday.

Military Official Resigns After Acid Attack on Activist

Military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Aulia Dwi Nasrullah confirmed a “handing over of position” by Lt. Gen. Yudi Abrimantyo, the military’s intelligence unit (BAIS) chief, as a form of responsibility for the attack.

Andrie Yunus, a deputy coordinator with the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, also known as KontraS, suffered burns to 20 percent of his face and body when assailants on a motorcycle threw acid at him on March 12.

The attack drew condemnation both locally and internationally, with UN human rights chief Volker Turk calling it a “cowardly act of violence.”

TNI previously stated it arrested four officers, all members of the intelligence unit. Punishments for those found guilty could range from disciplinary action to dishonorable discharge, according to Aulia.

Yudi Abrimantyo was not among those arrested.

Concern over the erosion of democratic values has grown in Indonesia, with the military’s involvement in civilian areas and state-run businesses increasing under the administration of President Prabowo Subianto, a retired general.

Prabowo, in a roundtable interview last week, described the attack on Andrie as “terrorism,” pledging a thorough investigation and promising no impunity. He stated, “This is terrorism, isn’t it? A barbaric act. We must pursue (the perpetrators).”

The former general vowed to “uphold the law” regardless of who was behind the attack.

Hundreds of civil society groups in Indonesia, including Amnesty International, have alleged the attack on Andrie was attempted murder. The activist had recently recorded a podcast episode on the subject of military expansion before the incident.

Andrie remains hospitalized in Jakarta, currently in intensive care following surgery on Wednesday to treat injuries to his right eye, and skin grafts around his eye, chest and shoulder areas, KontraS said.

KontraS has urged Prabowo to form an independent team to investigate the case, suggesting it be handled by civil courts instead of a military court, echoing a call earlier this week from Human Rights Watch.

“What happened to Andrie Yunus is a serious crime that occurred in a civilian space, outside of the context of the military work as well as state defence operations,” KontraS and other civil society groups said in a joint statement.