http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/08E943FAE9B00F83C12572AC006EBF14?opendocument
UN EXPERT ON EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS
URGES INDONESIA TO RELEASE AND ACT ON
REPORT OF PRESIDENTIAL FACT-FINDING
TEAM
xxxxxxxxxx
28 March 2007
The Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions issued
the following statement today:
"The Government of Indonesia should release the final report of the
Presidential Fact-Finding team and investigate all those implicated by the
report into the murder of Munir Said Thalib," says Philip Alston, the United
Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.
A report released by Alston yesterday discusses the government's response to
Munir's murder. He presented his findings to the UN Human Rights Council on
Tuesday.
Alston brought his concerns to the attention of the Government in November 2006
after he received information that the Indonesian Supreme Court had acquitted
the only person ever convicted for the murder of Munir Said Thalib, a leading
human rights activist, despite reported evidence of a conspiracy involving many
suspects, some of whom are high-ranking intelligence officers.
Munir died of poisoning on Garuda flight 974 from Singapore to Amsterdam on 6
September 2004. His death was investigated by an independent fact-finding team,
Tim Pencari Fakta (TPF), established by presidential decree on 23 December
2004. However, that report has never been made public, and its key
recommendations and findings appear to have been ignored. Reportedly, the TPF
identified Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, an off-duty co-pilot who was on
Munir's flight, as a primary suspect in the case. It also suggested the
involvement of senior employees of the Garuda airline and of high-ranking
intelligence officials in Munir's death.
In a letter dated 19 January 2007, the government responded to Alston's
inquiries in a manner that he characterized as "cooperative but incomplete".
"It is encouraging that the President has reaffirmed that the government
continues to work to find those who are guilty of Munir's murder," says Alston.
"But it is disturbing that it has still not taken the obvious step of releasing
the fact-finding report and acting on its recommendations."
Background
Philip Alston was appointed as Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or
arbitrary executions by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on 13
July 2004. In 2006, the Commission on Human Rights was replaced by the Human
Rights Council, and Alston now reports to the Council.
For further information on the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or
arbitrary executions, see:
http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/executions/
http://www.extrajudicialexecutions.org/
The report that Alston presented to the Human Rights Council on March 27 is UN
Doc. No. A/HRC/4/20, and communications with governments are included in
A/HRC/4/20/Add.1. __________
For use of the information media; not an official record
