Munir's wife, rights activists defy threats

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.

Team -- Page 4