Activists launch campaign to resolve Munir murder case<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
About 500 people, mostly rights activists, staged a rally on
\nWednesday as part of a campaign to push the government to solve
\nthe murder of noted human rights defender Munir.<\/p>\n
The demonstrators first rallied in front of the National
\nIntelligence Agency (BIN) headquarters in South Jakarta, and
\nlater moved to outside the presidential palace, calling on
\nPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to take action against the
\nmasterminds of the murder.<\/p>\n
"Even after one year (since the murder), everyone remains in
\nthe dark as to who is responsible for murdering our colleague
\nMunir. So, we are here to ask the government to continue
\ninvestigating the case until the mastermind of the murder is put
\non trial," one activist said.<\/p>\n
Dozens of police personnel secured the peaceful rally at BIN,
\nwhich was also participated in by Munir's widow Suciwati, while
\nBIN staffers silently watched the protesters from inside their
\noffice, the gate of which was securely locked.<\/p>\n
As a symbol of mourning, Suciwati place flowers in front of
\nthe gate.<\/p>\n
Munir, cofounder of two prominent human rights groups
\nImparsial and National Commission for Missing Persons and Victims
\nof Violence (Kontras), was one of the country's most prominent
\nhuman rights campaigners.<\/p>\n
One year after Munir's murder, the government has failed to
\nproperly investigate and prosecute those responsible, rights
\nactivists have said.<\/p>\n
Munir died in September last year on a Garuda flight en route
\nto the Netherlands, just hours before the plane arrived at
\nAmsterdam's Schiphol Airport.<\/p>\n
An autopsy report by the Dutch Forensic Institute found lethal
\nlevels of arsenic in Munir's body, which the forensic experts
\nbelieved to be the cause of death.<\/p>\n
Subsequent investigation found that the arsenic had most
\nlikely been added to a drink served on the Jakarta to Singapore
\nleg of the flight.<\/p>\n
In December 2004, Susilo formed a fact-finding team (TPF),
\nwhich was given a six-month mandate to assist the police in
\ninvestigating the murder. The team's mandate ended on June 23,
\nwith it producing a lengthy report with detailed findings and
\nrecommendations, which included the allegation that certain
\nsenior BIN officials played a hand in the murder.<\/p>\n
Activists have also urged Susilo to disclose the TPF report
\nand follow it up, such as by establishing a special committee
\nthat would supervise the work of the police in relation to the
\nmurder case.<\/p>\n
To date, the police have only named Garuda pilot Pollycarpus
\nBudihari Priyanto and two Garuda flight attendants as suspects.<\/p>\n
Pollycarpus, who some believe is a BIN agent, is on trial for
\nviolating Article 340 of the Criminal Code on premeditated
\nmurder, which carries the death penalty.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a legislator expressed on Wednesday his
\ndisappointment in the police for not making significant progress
\nin the Munir case, indicating that the country protected human
\nrights only on paper.<\/p>\n
Slamet Effendi Yusuf, who is the deputy of a House special
\nteam to monitor the murder investigation, said the big question
\nof who was really behind the murder had been left unanswered.<\/p>\n
"If we want to show the world that we have changed and are
\ntaking human rights more seriously, the government better speed
\nup work and reveal the core of the case," he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/activists-launch-campaign-to-resolve-munir-murder-case-1447893297",
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