Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The government should quickly solve the Munir murder and other outstanding human rights cases to avoid becoming the target of US Congressional sanctions after the Democrats take control of both chambers, experts warned Thursday.
The Indonesian Institute of Sciences' (LIPI) Dewi Fortuna Anwar said Democrats were known for their concern about human rights issues and would likely focus on the Munir case, which had already been bought before the previous House.
"The Munir case has become a focus of the US Congress (before) so don't be surprised if there is a congressional resolution on it," she told The Jakarta Post.
Dewi said no movement in solving Munir's murder could negatively affect US assistance to Indonesia and could include cuts to economic aid and military assistance.
"Don't forget that the waiver of the US military embargo on Indonesia is not permanent. The assistance is reviewed each year. A Democrat-dominated Congress can cancel military assistance if it has reason to believe that Indonesia has a poor record on human rights," she said.
Human rights activist Munir Said Thalib was murdered by arsenic poisoning in September 2004. Lower courts and a presidentially sanctioned investigative team found evidence linking top National Intelligence Agency officials to his murder, although none have ever been charged.
The only man successfully prosecuted for his murder, an off-duty Garuda pilot, was later found not guilty on appeal by the Supreme Court in September this year.
Democrats took control of both US houses of Congress for the first time in 12 years during the mid-term election Thursday.
Deputy head of the House of Representatives' Commission I on security and international affairs Amris Hassan agreed a Congressional resolution on Munir was a possibility following the Democrats' win. He urged the government to start a public relations campaign – to explain to Congress that Indonesia's human rights record had recently improved.
"Indonesia's human rights record is still not good in the eyes of many Americans, especially since the Munir case was brought before Congress. Besides improving our public relations campaign, we must solve the Munir case – following the investigation wherever it will lead," he told the Post.
In a separate interview with AFP, Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda worried about effect of the Democrats' win on ongoing free trade negotiations.
"From the aspect of Indonesia-US trade policies, maybe like other countries, which are currently discussing free trade areas, we are very worried," Hassan said.
He said that the Democrats were known to be more protective about US labor rights and therefore more sensitive to policies or regulations on US trade.
Hassan, however, said Indonesia did not anticipate fundamental changes in ties with the United States, stressing that despite the Democrats' poll victory, the government of President Bush still had two years to serve.