Jakarta – The Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD) is calling for the immediate disclosure of the military chain of command behind the acid attack on Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Deputy Coordinator Andrie Yunus.
This was conveyed by TAUD representative Dimas Bagus Arya, also a Kontras coordinator, in response to the resignation of the head of the Indonesian Military's (TNI) Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS), Lieutenant General Yudi Abrimantyo.
"This move cannot be seen as an adequate form of accountability, let alone a response to a serious crime allegedly involving an organised operation by a military intelligence agency", said Arya in a written statement on Thursday March 26.
TAUD, he said, is also questioning the TNI's seriousness in investigating the terrorist attack on Yunus. He explained that the press conference announcing Abrimantyo's resignation yesterday did not provide any information on the progress of the criminal investigation by the TNI.
This includes the question of the perpetrators' accountability and the chain of command behind the acid attack on Yunus. According to Arya, a full disclosure and justice for the victim are what the public is eagerly awaiting.
"This large-scale operation raises various suspicions that need to be investigated, such as was there an order, the involvement of superiors, as well as the command structure within the TNI", he said.
Furthermore, he believes that the replacement of the BAIS chief (Kabais) cannot necessarily be considered a form of accountability. Arya emphasised that accountability for human rights violations should not be attached to a single position.
He said that in a hierarchical military organisational structure, the chain of command involves a broader layer of leadership than just one person.
"The lack of explanation about the accountability of the related command structure gives the strong impression of an attempted cover-up, a partial, selective accountability, and doesn't address the entire chain of command that should be examined", he explained.
Arya views the resignation of the BAIS head as simply a way to prevent accountability from reaching higher levels, such as the TNI commander or the Minister of Defence.
On the other hand, he is concerned that the resignation of the BAIS head will actually absolve the person concerned from potential criminal violations in the case. He said however, that if an involvement is found it should still be processed through applicable legal mechanisms.
"Removal from office without criminal accountability has the potential to become an internal mechanism that closes the space for accountability and strengthens the practice of impunity", he said.
Finally, TAUD is also urging that the perpetrators of the acid attack be prosecuted through general courts, not military courts. This is also considered to be in line with Article 65 of Law Number 34/2004 on the TNI, which states that soldiers are subject to the authority of military courts only in cases of violations of military law, and are subject to general courts in cases of general crimes.
Yunus was doused with acid by two unidentified assailants on Jalan Salemba 1 in Central Jakarta on Thursday evening March 12.
The attack occurred after Yunus attended a podcast event entitled Re-militarism and Judicial Review in Indonesia at the offices of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI).
The Jakarta Metropolitan Police (Polda Metro Jaya) estimate that more than four people were involved in the acid attack on the human rights activist. Meanwhile, the TNI Headquarters (Mabes TNI) has stated that it has detained four soldiers who are believed to be involved in the attack.
In the latest development, BAIS head Yudi Abrimantyo relinquished his position in connection with the attack on Yunus.
"As a form of accountability, the handover of the Ka BAIS position was carried out today", said TNI Information Centre head Major General Aulia Dwi Nasrullah during a press conference at the TNI Headquarters in Jakarta on Wednesday March 25. (fra/tfq/fra)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "TAUD soal Kabais TNI Mundur: Bongkar Komando Serangan Air Keras Andrie".]
