The Building and Wood Workers International (BWI) expresses its deepest alarm and outrage over the vicious acid attack on Andrie Yunus, Deputy Coordinator for External Affairs at the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS).
 
On the late evening of 12 March 2026, Andrie was brutally assaulted by two unidentified perpetrators who threw acid at his face and chest, leaving him in intensive care with severe burns. This horrific incident occurred mere minutes after he concluded a public broadcast discussing the “remilitarisation of the Indonesian government” and his fierce opposition to the 2025 Military Law revisions.
 
The targeted nature of the injuries and the fact that no belongings were stolen make it indisputable that this was not a random assault. It was a meticulously planned, cowardly attempt to permanently silence Andrie, serving as a chilling warning designed to breed fear among those who dare to speak truth to power.
 
BWI strongly condemns the perpetrators of this heinous crime. This attack fundamentally violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), alongside Indonesia's own legal mandates to protect human rights defenders.
 
The historic Reformasi movement ushered in a vital opening of democratic space in Indonesia. This targeted violence, alongside the severe crackdown on protests in August 2025, however, are stark indicators of the backsliding of the hard-won freedom and democracy that the Indonesian people fought so fiercely for during Reformasi. We are witnessing a dangerous and unacceptable shrinking of civic space.
 
We urgently call upon the Indonesian authorities and the National Police to manage this incident as a high-priority case. An independent investigation must be conducted with full transparency, total integrity, and without political interference. Accountability cannot stop at the individuals who threw the acid; the masterminds behind this attack must be unmasked and brought to justice.
 
The eyes of the global community are now firmly fixed on the response of the Prabowo administration. Only a swift, uncompromising legal process can clear the public's mounting doubts.
 
BWI voices its unwavering solidarity with Andrie Yunus, KontraS, and all Indonesian human rights defenders, civil society members, and trade unionists. We commend your immense courage in continuing your vital work despite an increasingly hostile and violent environment.
 
Touch one, touch all. We rise and fight against any form of violence.