Munir's wife, rights activists defy threats

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The wife and colleagues of human rights activist Munir who died of arsenic poisoning aboard a plane flight in September vowed on Sunday not to be silenced by intimidation and to continue voicing their demands for justice.

Munir's wife, Suciwati, spoke after receiving a death threat mailed to her house in Bekasi, West Java. A brown box filled with a severed chicken head, legs and intestines came with a typed message saying 'Do not connect the TNI to Munir's death. Want to end up like this!'

TNI is the acronym for the Indonesian Military, which Munir was critical of.

Suciwati said she and her late husband were used to receiving threats.

"When my husband was still alive, we used to live with terror. We never told the public about it because we didn't want to give the threats importance," Suciwati said.

The package had been reported to the police who arrived at the family's residence four hours after the mail arrived.

Suciwati, however, said the threat would not drive her to speculation as to who killed her husband.

"The murder could be anyone," she said.

Rusdi Marpaung from human rights watch Imparsial, which Munir cofounded, and Catholic priest Sandyawan Sumardi accompanied Suciwati during her statement.

The threat came as rights groups demanded a thorough investigation into Munir's suspicious death on a Garuda flight en route to Amsterdam. The Netherlands Forensic Institute said an autopsy performed on Munir had found he died from excessive levels of arsenic in his body.

Rusdi said Munir's family in Malang, East Java, had also received a disturbing letter two days after he died.

"The message was 'congratulating' the family for Munir's death as the writer branded Munir a traitor and wished that the spirits of the country's heroes would pardon him," Rusdi said.

Imparsial director Rachland Nashidik said he and fellow rights activists would not jump to the immediate conclusion the threats came from elements the military.

"We just want the police to properly investigate the case and refrain themselves from speculation," he said.

The threats, he said, confirmed suspicions that Munir's death was politically motivated and involved professionals.

Garuda Indonesia head of corporate communications Pudjobroto said on Saturday the airline would support the police investigation and facilitate the interrogation of the GA-974 air crew who were on duty when Munir died.

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