Activists frustrated by little progress in Munir case

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Human rights activists have criticized the police for the limited progress they have made in investigating the alleged murder of rights champion Munir.

They also urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to give greater power to the government-sanctioned fact-finding team to ensure that the probe into the high-profile assassination case is carried out properly.

"After several months (since the case emerged), the investigation into Munir's death has barely progressed as the police are yet to name a suspect, even though they have questioned 87 witnesses," said Usman Hamid, a coordinator of the National Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), which was co-founded by Munir.

Usman is also a member of the special fact-finding team, set up on Dec. 23, under a presidential regulation that limits the team's authority, so that it merely assists the police in the investigation process. Activists have urged the President to revise the regulation.

"On the other hand, the President seems to be delaying his response to our request for a review of the regulation, meaning that we have lost our credibility (in the investigation)," he added.

Activists have also insisted that the President approve the establishment of a supervisory team chaired by noted lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis, Muhammadiyah chairman Ahmad Syafii Ma'arief and a high-ranking police officer.

Rights activists Munir was found dead on board a Garuda flight to Amsterdam on Sept. 7, 2004. An autopsy conducted by the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI) concluded that a lethal level of arsenic was found in Munir's body, which led to his death.

"We do understand that the President is now focusing on the current disaster in Aceh, but we hope the police can make better progress as it has set up a team to probe the case," Usman said, referring to the police team led by Sr. Comr. Octavinus Farfar.

Separately, National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said the police were now focusing their investigation on a passenger with Indonesian nationality who sat beside Munir during the flight.

"We have his address but we have not yet met the man. If we are able to find him, we will question him and determine whether or not he played a role in the murder, or whether he knew the situation minutes before Munir died," Da'i said as quoted by Antara.

He refused to elaborate further.