From the Ashes of Suffering: Call for Justice, Conscience, and National Healing
JAKARTA - Our hearts and deepest prayers are with Andrie Yunus and his family as they endure the profound physical and psychological trauma of an attack that left over 24 percent of his body, including his face, chest, and eyes, burned by acid.
On this blessed day of Eid, the day of victory and renewal, Indonesia stands at a crossroads. The brutal attack on activist Andrie Yunus is not just an ordinary crime against one person, but awound to the conscience and democracy of our nation. Human rights are not distant promises.
They are the very soul of our society, the invisible thread that binds us as Indonesians. This tragedy compels us to reflect on what kind of nation we aspire to become.
Let us not answer with silence or indifference. Now is the time to demand true justice, to stand in solidarity with the vulnerable, and to show the world that Indonesia's heart beats with compassion, truth, and courage.
The Sacred Foundation: Security as the Soul of Our Nation
Throughout history, the most fundamental right has been the right to feel safe and secure.
As Henry Shue reminds us, this is the morality of the depths. It is a sacred foundation without which no dream can take root and no freedom can flourish.
Security is not a privilege for the few, but the oxygen that sustains all other rights. When violence silences voices like Andrie Yunus, we are all diminished. His suffering sends a message to every Indonesian that our democracy cannot survive if fear replaces hope. We must meet this challenge not with resignation, but with unwavering resolve and the courage to pursue justice.
Three Pillars of Responsibility: The States Sacred Promise
As members of civil society and as Indonesians, it is our responsibility to speak out when citizens' basic human rights are violated. In times of crisis, it becomes our sacred duty to remind, to bear witness, and to ensure that our nations promise endures and does not fade into silence.
To ensure that horror like this never repeats, our government must take its sacred responsibilities to heart: to respect, to protect, and to fulfill the rights of every citizen.
Theseare not empty slogans. They are living promises that demand action. Every right carries a duty, and every government action or inaction shapes the destiny of its people.
1) The Duty to Respect: The government must ensure that its agents, including military personnel, strictly refrain from violating civiliansphysical integrity.
The arrest of four soldiers in the Yunus case is an essential administrative step, demonstrating that internal breaches of this duty will not be tolerated.
2) The Duty to Protect: Beyond self-restraint, the state has a positive "due diligence" obligation to prevent third-party violence and to shield human rights defenders from intimidation.
3) The Duty to Fulfill: This requires the government to maintain administrative and judicial systems that ensure victims have access to "real" justiciability and an effective remedy.
Lighting the Path to Truth: Demanding Justice and Transparency
For the investigation into the attack on Andrie Yunus to be truly balanced, it must become a justiciable reality rather than an ideal.
The process must be enforceable through the domestic courts and subject to legal remedy. The legal proceedings should adhere to the UN Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary, and Summary Executions, as Indonesia articulates the specific positive obligations arising from Article 6 of the ICCPR, which Indonesia acceded to on 23 February 2006.
1) Thorough, Prompt, and Impartial: Under Principle 9, independent bodies with the technical resources to determine the truth and identify those responsible must conduct an investigation.
2) Transparency as a Safeguard: Under Principle 17, findings should be made public without delay in a written report. This transparency ensures the process is not hidden and helps alleviate the "anguish and mental stress" of the victims family.
3) The Burden of Investigation: Transnational legal norms clarify that the burden of investigation rests on the government. It is an implicit duty of the state to investigate, in good faith, all allegations made against its authorities and to furnish all available information to the relevant oversight bodies.
A Call to Action: Building a Nation Where No One Is Left Behind
It must be said with the utmost conviction: this kind of event should not happen again. To fulfill its duty to prevent recurrence, the government must move beyond a mere obligation of conduct to an obligation of result and ensure that policies actually protect citizens.
We propose the following clear steps to anticipate and prevent such tragedies.
1) Strengthen Institutional Oversight: The government must establish effective oversight mechanisms for the police and military to address impunity. This includes rigorous training for all security personnel on the fundamental principles governing the use of force, ensuring professionalism at all times.
2) Ensure Command Responsibility: Sanctions must match the gravity of the crime to serve as a deterrent. Superiors and public officials should also be held accountable for acts committed by those under their authority if they had a reasonable opportunity to prevent them.
3) Proactive Protection for Human Rights Defenders: The government must guarantee "effective protection through judicial or other means" for individuals who are in danger or have received threats, ensuring they can work without fear of reprisals.
4) Institutionalize Redress: The state should ensure that victims receive fair and adequate compensation, along with long-term medical and psychological support.
The actions we call for are not new to our legal system. They are deeply rooted in our nations laws and traditions, firmly established in Law Number 39 of 1999 on Human Rights, Law Number 40 of 1999 on the Press, and Law Number 9 of 1998 on Freedom of Expression in Public.
These principles are an integral part of our national identity and legal foundation. The ideals of what the law ought to be have long held moral and constitutional authority.
Yet today, we are confronted by a painful truth: there remains a wide gulf between the noble aspirations of our laws (das sollen) and the imperfect reality experienced by our people (das sein).
In this situation, injustice can take root, and rights risk becoming empty promises. For now, our goal is not to write new laws, but to awaken the ones we have, to breathe life into their principles
through courage, integrity, and unwavering responsibility. The true strength of a nation is not measured by the perfection of its laws, but by the determination with which they are defended and realized.
As Eid al-Fitr bathes our nation in light, let us remember that true greatness is revealed in how fiercely we protect the vulnerable and honor the dignity of every soul.
In this sacred moment of renewal, it is more important than ever for all leaders and every part of society to stand together in unity and peace, forging a common strength to reach our highest aspirations.
This solidarity not only moves our country forward but also safeguards the governments honor, proves its dedication, and closes the door on blame and suspicion.
When we hold fast to hope, insist on transparency, and act with compassion, we can transform suffering into progress and plant the seeds of justice for generations to come.
Let us not allow fear or apathy to dim our spirit. Instead,let us rise together, speak with courage, and become the guardians of a future where every Indonesian walks with pride and safety.
In the darkest night of suffering, the promise of dawn remains unbroken.
Justice will rise, as surely as the sun greets a new day. When humanity at last reaches the shores of a better world, we will know that true progress is born from the courage to hold fast to our highest ideals.
"Selama raga ini bernapas dan matahari masih terbit di ufuk timur, harapan tidak akan pernah padam. Ia akan terus menyala, membakar semangat kita untuk memberikan yang terbaik bagi bangsa dan kemanusiaan.
True-hearted independence!
Merdeka yang sejati-jatinya!
London, 20 March 2026
With deepest humility and unwavering hope,
Samuel P
Indonesian Diaspora