http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/07/17/editorial-who-killed-munir.html
Editorial: Who killed Munir? The Jakarta Post | Fri, 07/17/2009 10:37 AM | Opinion In November 2004, the newly elected President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono promised to bring the killer of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib to justice, a killing he once referred to as a test case on "how much Indonesia has changed". But to this day, people are still asking, who killed the country's most fearless and prominent human rights activist? It is clear that SBY has not kept his promise and has failed the test to change Indonesia. The clearest sign of failure came last week when the Supreme Court said it supported the South Jakarta District Court verdict, which acquitted army major general, Muchdi Purwopranjono, the alleged mastermind of the killing from all charges. Court spokesman Hatta Ali said that it found no mistake in an earlier district court decision, but refused to elaborate on considerations used by the justices to reject the prosecutors' appeal request. The public's disappointment over the unresolved murder not withstanding, we have to respect the June 15, 2009 Supreme Court decision. We side with those who wish to see justice being served, particularly Munir's widow and children. On the other hand, Muchdi's name should be rehabilitated, as the court found him not guilty. The public's frustration is understandable. As the case has dragged on slowly over the last five years, human rights activists have highlighted the strong culture of impunity cultivated during the 32 years of military dictatorship under Soeharto. There is no reason to believe, they say, that this kind of killing will not happen again. Munir was poisoned on board a Garuda airliner when it was approaching Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands on Sept. 7, 2004. In his short but fruitful life, Munir was behind the successful probing of numerous past human rights abuses by the military. His widow Suciwati and his two children had also secured Yudhoyono's personal promise to find the killer immediately following his death. Since then, a dark cloud has hovered over the trial after attempts to find the mastermind of the killer have failed. Muchdi, the former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy head, was the fourth person brought to court in Munir's case. His superior, then the intelligence chief, Hendropriyono, did not appear in court. An off-duty Garuda pilot, Pollycarpus Budhari Priyanto, was found guilty of putting arsenic poisoning into a glass of orange juice offered to Munir. He was found guilty, but was later acquitted by the Supreme Court. He is now languishing in jail for using a forged letter of recommendation from the BIN that enabled him to join Munir's flight as part of the airline's security staff. Former Garuda secretary, Rohainil Aini, was acquitted over legal technicalities, while former Garuda president director, Indra Setiawan, was sentenced to 16 months for his role in the murder. It is time to turn to SBY and ask him to fulfill his promise. Can he deliver it in three months time before his tenure comes to an end? Or will he make another promise if he is re-elected come October? Otherwise, he will only reinforce what people think about politicians: They are only good at making promises. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
