AFAD 25 Years Video Teaser

This AFAD video teaser is an opening salvo of the yearlong campaign and fight Against Enforced Disappearances and for the Protection, not Persecution, of Human Rights Defenders, across Asia.

a continuing crime
a disappearing act

What's Happening

The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) expresses its profound horror and outrage following the devastating medical update regarding human rights defender Andrie Yunus, whose eyes are reportedly melting due to the severity of a targeted acid attack. Andrie, the Deputy Coordinator for External Affairs of our member organization KontraS, remains in critical condition with chemical burns covering 20% of his body.This barbaric assault, which took place on 12 March 2026, was clearly premeditated, occurring immediately after Andrie participated in a public discussion regarding remilitarism and the expansion of military influence in Indonesia.


Most alarmingly, investigations into this atrocity have revealed allegations of the involvement of Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) personnel. Reports have specifically linked the case to the Strategic Intelligence Agency (BaIS). These allegations are consistent with a pattern of state-linked intimidation; in 2025, army vehicles were observed surveilling the KontraS office and photographing the premises.AFAD strongly condemns this heinous attack and stands in solidarity with all human rights defenders in Indonesia. This tragedy is a violent wound on the face of democracy and a blatant attempt to silence those who document state violence and enforced disappearances.

 

We demand immediate and absolute accountability from the Indonesian government:

  • Civilian, Not Military, Justice: We demand that this case be tried in public civilian courts. History shows that the military justice system often serves as a "fortress" for its members, failing to reach intellectual masterminds and opting instead to "break the chain of responsibility" by punishing only low-level operators with light sentences.
  • Independent Investigation: The Indonesian National Police must conduct a transparent inquiry that accounts for the coercive power of the suspected institutions involved.
  • Protection and Medical Care: The state must ensure Andrie receives specialized medical treatment and that the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) provides full security for Andrie, his family, and the staff of KontraS.
  • End the Culture of Impunity: President Prabowo Subianto must ensure that no individual—regardless of their uniform—is above the law.

The Indonesian government must act now to prove that the "acid" of impunity will not be allowed to dissolve the pillars of civil supremacy.

The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) proudly celebrates Brito Fernando, President of our member organization Families of the Disappeared in Sri Lanka, for being awarded the Swedish Government's international prize for human rights and democracy.

Since the late 1980s, Brito has been a tireless champion for truth and justice in a country with one of the world's highest numbers of unresolved enforced disappearances. As the leader of FOD, which represents more than 20,000 families, he has courageously bridged divides between Sinhalese, Tamil, and Muslim communities to demand accountability for tens of thousands of victims.

Despite facing detention, arrests, and attacks on his home, Brito’s commitment to the marginalized has never wavered. As he reminds us, this honor belongs to the families who have fought for over 35 years without giving up.

AFAD stands in solidarity with Brito and FOD as they continue to demand that the government strengthen local mechanisms, conduct proper mass grave excavations, provide comprehensive reparations, and finally reveal the truth for the families of the disappeared.

Read more: https://www.levandehistoria.se/english/the-per-anger-prize/2026-brito-fernando

Ngayong ika-25 ng Pebrero, 40 na taon mula noong EDSA People Power Revolution, ating inaalala ang lahat ng biktima ng paglabag sa karapatang pantao, kabilang na dito ang mga sapilitang iwinala, sa ilalim ng diktadurang Ferdinand Marcos Sr. 

Binalot ng kadiliman ang buong bansa sa ilalim ng batas militar ni Marcos Sr. Sa loob ng 14 na taon, libu-libo ang matatalang paglabag sa karapatang pantao. Sa panahon na ito, ayon sa Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND), may naitalang 1,034 na biktima ng sapilitang pagkawala – 626 sa bilang na ito ay hindi pa rin nalilitaw. Marami sa mga ito ay mga kabataan, lider-manggagawa, mamamahayag, at kritiko ng gobyerno na ninakawan ng kinabukasan. 

As Bangladesh approaches its historic February 12 election, the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) stands in solidarity with the people of Bangladesh in their pursuit of a peaceful, transparent, and inclusive democratic process. This election, the first since the “Monsoon Revolution” of July 2024, represents a critical turning point for a nation transitioning from authoritarian rule. 

The Federation

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