Jakarta – Six years have passed since Munir Said Thalib was fatally poisoned on a flight to Amsterdam on Sept. 7, 2004. Since then, his family, friends and fellow human rights activists have continued to seek justice.
They have held rallies in front of the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, and in other major cities, including Aceh, Medan, Surabaya and Pontianak.
Munir founded the human rights group Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) and the Indonesian Human Rights Monitor (Imparsial).
Rizki Pratama Putra, the coordinator of the Friends of Munir community, said upcoming commemorations for the activist would focus on demands to complete the investigation into Munir's murder, who was poisoned with arsenic on a Garuda Indonesia flight.
"We believe the legal process has failed to reveal the perpetrators behind his murder," said Rizki.
The Central Jakarta District Court sentenced Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, a former Garuda pilot, to 20 years in prison for his part in the murder. He recently received a seven-month remission to that sentence.
However, former top National Intelligence Agency (BIN) officer Muchdi Purwopranjono, who is alleged to have played a prominent role in the murder, was acquitted of all charges by the South Jakarta District Court in December 2008.
In 2009, activists filed an appeal against the acquittal to the Supreme Court, which was rejected. "From the case, we have learned that the government has failed to protect defenders of human rights," Rizki said.
He added the groups would propose to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono marking Sept. 7 as the day of human rights defenders.
According to Rizky, the government had not shown any political will to solve the case despite the President's promise to do so.
Choirul Anam from the Solidarity Action Committee for Munir said the case had seen no significant progress. "Rohainil Aini, another actor in the murder, was sentenced to one year in jail, but the Supreme Court has still not enforced the decision," he said.
In March, the committee proposed several options to the President to further investigate Munir's murder after Muchdi was exonerated by the Supreme Court. Activists believe other actors higher than Muchdi were involved in the murder, but investigations stopped at him.
"We have sent letters to the President, the AGO, the Judicial Commission and several other legal institutions, but haven't received a response," he said. "This case was so perfectly designed. There was a grand design to silence Munir for various interests," he added.
According to Choirul, the government will have to complete the investigation to show its commitment to law enforcement and human rights in the country. "We will always preserve our hope for justice. We will keep fighting until the perpetrators are brought to court," Choirul said. (lnd)