Intelligence Chief Resigns
A senior officer in the Indonesian Military (TNI) has stepped down following an acid attack on an activist known for his opposition to the expanded role of the military, a spokesperson said on Thursday. Military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Aulia Dwi Nasrullah confirmed to Reuters that there had been 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, a rights group also known as Kontras, suffered burns to 20 percent of his face and body from acid thrown by assailants on a motorcycle on March 12. Calls have mounted for accountability and reform of the military as more details emerge surrouding the acid attack on human rights defender Andrie Yunus, after authorities confirmed the involvement of intelligence officers in the incident. President Prabowo denounced the attack as a “barbaric, terror act” that must be thoroughly investigated, pledging to personally ensure that those who masterminded the assault are brought to justice. (various media)
Megawati Meets Prabowo
President Prabowo Subianto met with former president and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri on March 19, holding a closed-door meeting to discuss a range of geopolitical issues amid the ongoing United States-Israeli war on Iran. Megawati’s PDI-P, the only major political party currently outside of the ruling coalition, has in recent weeks expressed a more assertive and personalized form of criticism, driven largely by the direct intervention of its chairwoman following the latest developments in the Middle East. Long seen as a quasi-opposition that stopped short of forcefully challenging Prabowo’s policies, the party had previously displayed a muted stance, often opting to frame itself as a balancing force rather than a clear counterweight to the government. Such a posture then shifted amid the escalating war against Iran, with Megawati herself taking a more active and visible role in shaping the party’s response. Megawati’s decision in early March to send a personal condolence letter to Iran’s leadership following the death of former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei drew widespread public attention, particularly as it contrasted with the absence of an immediate comparable gesture from President Prabowo. (Jakarta Post)