Dyah Ayu Pitaloka, Malang, East Java – The National Commission on Human Rights has honored slain human rights defender Munir Said Thalib with its inaugural award, 10 years after his murder.

"This is the first time that Komnas HAM has given out awards in recognition of those who have done services toward human rights protection in Indonesia," Siane Indriani, a deputy chairwoman of the commission known as Komnas HAM, said on Monday in Munir's hometown of Batu, in East Java.

"This is a form of appreciation to those serving as an inspiration and a role model for the government as well as people."

The commission also awarded Maria Ulfa Soebandio Sastrosatomo, Indonesia's first social affairs minister, who was instrumental in getting human rights values included in the Constitution.

Komnas HAM presented the award for Munir to his widow, Suciwati, at Munir's former home turned museum in Batu. Suciwati thanked Komnas HAM for the award, but added: "It would mean more to all of us if [Munir's death] was resolved."

The award came just days after the government paroled the only person convicted in the 2004 murder, Pollycarpus Budihari Prijanto.

The former Garuda Indonesia pilot was convicted of poisoning Munir with arsenic on Sept. 7, 2004, during a layover in Singapore before the 38-year-old activist boarded a flight for Amsterdam. Pollycarpus served eight years of a 14-year sentence for the murder.

National Police Chief Gen. Sutarman said last week that the police would not reopen the investigation into the murder.

The announcement means that the police will not assist prosecutors in searching for new evidence needed to file a review of the case against Muchdi Purwoprandjono, the former deputy head of Indonesia's State Intelligence Agency (BIN). Muchdi was acquitted in 2008 for his alleged role in the case.

The subsequent clamor for a review of the case puts Joko in a difficult position. This is because the president appointed A.M. Hendropriyono to a senior advisory role in his government.

Hendropriyono was the BIN chief at the time and was known to have been present in at least one meeting at the offices of the BIN with Muchdi and Pollycarpus.

Before his death, Munir had sought to bring Hendropriyono, a retired Army general, to justice for a bloody military crackdown on civilian protesters in Talangsari, Lampung, in 1989.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/recognition-but-still-no-closure-for-late-munir/