Urge Indonesia's President to Honor Pledge for Independent Investigation into Munir's Death
Alert Issued: October 19, 2004
"We are not optimistic, if the investigation is solely left to the police, that this killing will be solved."
Usman Hamid, a friend and colleague of Munir, December 6, 2004
Today, December 8, would have been Munir's 39th birthday. One of Indonesia's foremost human rights defenders, Munir died three months ago after becoming violently ill on a plane to Amsterdam. In early November, the Dutch Forensic Institute handed over an autopsy to the Indonesian government that revealed a fatal dose of arsenic in the activist's system.
Since our last alert there has been some progress - and a major setback.
- Munir's wife, Suciwati, was finally given a copy of the autopsy report by the police department's head of criminal investigation on December 6.
- President Yudhoyono met with Munir's wife and colleagues and pledged to support an independent investigation. The human rights community in Indonesia submitted a proposal to the government including membership and mandate of an independent team.
However, this week a spokesman for the president indicated that because the police investigation was progressing, no independent team was needed. However, Indonesia's poor track record of justice for human rights defenders underlines the need for an independent inquiry.
Action is also needed on a death threat to Munir's family. On November 20, Suciwati received a headless animal carcass in the mail with the warning: "Be careful!!!!! Do not connect the TNI [the Indonesian military] to the death of Munir. Do you want to end up like this?"
Please urge the Indonesian government to support the independent inquiry into Munir's death and ensure that the threats to Munir's family are carefully investigated.
Tell Me More
"I'm disappointed. [President Yudhoyono] only gave us false hope, pretending he cared."
-- Suciwati, Munir's wife, December 8, 2004
As of December 8 police investigators had questioned 77 people, including airline employees, family members, and others who came into contact with Munir during his journey. A team also visited the Netherlands to gather information about the forensic results.
Meanwhile, the human rights community pressed ahead with plans for an independent investigation. On November 26, the two NGOs that Munir helped found, Kontras and Imparsial, responded to an invitation by the President to submit a proposal for a team of respected human rights figures. The proposed team includes past and present leaders from the National Human Rights Commission and several top human rights lawyers.
The need for such a team arose in part because the poisoning was most likely not an ordinary crime. An even more compelling justification is the poor track record of the police in addressing attacks on human rights defenders. As Kontras director Usman Hamid explained at a press conference on November 19 in the Netherlands:
Violence towards human rights defenders in Indonesia happens frequently, but has never been properly investigated. . . . In the form of terror and the use of bombs or even thugs, our offices, our activists and Munir himself have been physically attacked. From all these cases, not one has successfully been resolved in the courts and its perpetrators punished as they should.
A final justification for an independent team is the fear that even if the police identified the immediate culprit, they would not muster the political will to uncover who was behind the crime.
Despite these justifications, Yudhoyono's Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi indicated on Tuesday, December 7, that there was no rush to form the independent team: "If later in the process there is a need for a team to back up the police, this team will be formed to assist the work of the police." A spokesman for the president later confirmed that Yudhoyono had in fact rejected the proposal.
The Indonesian parliament (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, or DPR) formed its own team on November 23, with a three-month task to support and supervise the police team. On December 7 the chair of that team said that if President Yudhoyono did not establish an independent team as proposed by the human rights community within 100 days of Munir's death, or by December 15, they would summon the president to appear before the legislative body. When the President appeared to reject such a team soon afterwards, human rights activists called on the DPR to do just that.
Sample Letter:
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Office of the President
Istana Merdeka
Jakarta 10110
Indonesia
Tel: 62-21-331097, 333262
Faxes: +62-21-344-2223, +62 21-345 2685; + 62 21 526 8726; + 62 21 345 7782
E-mails: presiden@ri.go.id
Dear President Yudhoyono:
I am writing to convey my continued concern regarding the investigation into the death of Munir. I was pleased to hear that the autopsy results have been provided to Munir’s family, and also that you demonstrated your concern by meeting with Munir’s family and coworkers. It was also reported that you expressed your support for an independent investigation.
I understand that the Indonesian human rights community has submitted a formal proposal for an independent team to support and monitor the parallel police investigation already underway. I urge you to approve this plan as soon as possible.
While the police have clearly taken the case seriously and have already interviewed scores of witnesses, an independent team would help allay fears caused by the failure to address attacks on human rights defenders in the past. Those responsible for the deaths of Acehnese human rights activists in recent years have never been prosecuted, nor have a series of organized attacks on the offices of Jakarta NGOs. This is an opportunity for the Yudhoyono administration to make a break with the past and show that such crimes will not be tolerated.
In addition I was also concerned to learn of the death threat sent to Munir’s family. I hope that this incident is also fully investigated and all perpetrators held fully accountable.
Thank you for your attention to this pressing matter.
Sincerely,
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