Munir's death probe: How far can it go?

Munir's death probe: How far can it go?

Imanuddin Razak, Jakarta

It's been seven months since rights activist Munir Said Thalib,
popularly known as Munir, died of arsenic poisoning on a flight
to the Netherlands, while the government-sanctioned fact-finding
team and the police have yet to complete the inquiry into the
case.

A autopsy report by the Dutch police revealed that the
38-year-old activist had nearly 500 milligrams of arsenic in his
body, four times the lethal dose.

Munir was an outspoken critic of the government and the
military, accusing the latter of human rights violations in the
troubled provinces of Papua and Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and of
running a criminal network involved in illegal logging and drug
trafficking.

The prolonged investigation and the level of involvement of
the murder suspects who are considered the "executors" rather
than the masterminds behind the murder is obvious proof that the
team and the police find it difficult to uncover the truth and/or
conduct the investigation.

The police have only named three Garuda (national flag
carrier) officials, who were on the Sept. 7, 2004 flight, as
suspects. They are pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, who was
on board but off-duty during the flight, and flight attendants
Dedi Iriyanto and Yeti Susmaryati.

The only lead is that it is widely rumored that Pollycarpus
was once attached to the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), however
this has yet to be substantiated.

Without ignoring the possibility of the involvement of other
organizations or individuals in Munir's death, the reason why the
focus of attention has moved to BIN is understandable because of
its predecessor's notorious track record, that is, the State
Intelligence Coordinating Agency -- BAKIN.

Apart from the alleged BIN connection, House of
Representatives member Djoko Susilo of the National Mandate Party
(PAN) faction had hinted that, at the very least, intelligence
officers were involved in the murder. Djoko quoted the progress
report of the fact-finding team, which indicated the involvement
of a number of former senior intelligence officers.

In response to the progress in the investigation, BIN chairman
Syamsir Siregar has instructed three BIN officers to assist the
police and the investigating team. Syamsir, however, has declined
to reveal the identity of the three officers, leaving the public
guessing about their capability and contribution to the success
of the ongoing investigation.

The investigation, however, is still far from completion as
even if the finding of the investigating team later uncovers a
link between the death of Munir and the intelligence agency, it
still has to find out whether the agency was involved as an
institution or only individuals linked to the agency.

If we turn back the clock to the date of Munir's death, the
case occurred when the agency was still under the leadership of
Gen. (ret) A.M. Hendropriyono. Hendro, as the general is
popularly known, tendered his resignation on Oct. 20, 2004 when
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono took his oath as the country's new
president replacing Megawati Soekarnoputri.

It is common practice in any intelligence organization that no
matter how covert an intelligence operation may be, the chief of
the intelligence organization must be aware of it.

It is also the responsibility of the agency chief to report to
the president any significant or high-profile activities of the
agency. The country's constitution places the BIN chief under the
president, meaning that he reports directly to the president.

It is also not impossible then that the president -- Megawati
-- also knew about the case.

It is therefore a challenge for the police and the
investigating team to uncover the truth and reveal it to the
public. It is also a challenge for the three BIN officers
assisting the investigation to show that their inclusion in the
investigation is fruitful.

The author is a staff writer for The Jakarta Post.