A member of the Indonesian military testified in court on May 13, 2026, that his decision to participate in an acid attack against a human rights advocate was driven by the victim’s “arrogant” and “overacting” behavior during a legislative debate.
Sersan Dua Edi Sudarko, a soldier assigned to the Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS), provided this testimony during a hearing at Military Court II-08 in Jakarta. The case involves an attack on Andrie Yunus, the Deputy External Coordinator for the Commission for Disappeared Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS).
The friction between the two men reportedly began in March 2025 during a closed-door meeting regarding the Revision of the TNI Law involving the military and the House of Representatives. Edi testified that he became incensed after watching a video of Yunus and the Security Sector Civil Society Coalition interrupting the proceedings.
“I felt upset seeing in that video that Andrie Yunus was arrogant, overacting, and had no manners. I considered it to be trampling on the dignity of the TNI,” Edi stated during the trial.
The court heard that Edi’s resentment led to a plan to “give a lesson” to the advocate. According to the testimony, Edi first expressed his desire to assault Yunus to his roommate, First Lieutenant Budhi Hariyanto Widhi, on Monday, March 9, 2026, following congregational Zuhur prayers at the Al Ikhlas Mosque. The two allegedly continued their discussions regarding the plan at their barracks on March 11, 2026.
The case highlights the volatile tensions that can arise when civil society organizations challenge military institutional norms and legislative frameworks. This specific incident underscores the severe consequences of such ideological clashes when they escalate into targeted violence.
Edi and his accomplices are currently facing charges of assault rather than attempted murder as the military legal process continues.
