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Find Munir's killer
Jakarta Post Editorial - October 14, 2016
The murder on Sept. 7, 2004, took place six years after the New Order ended. Yet the crime and its continuing cover-up clearly shows us how past evil powers are alive and well – as we still don't know who actually killed Munir.
An off-duty pilot on Munir's Garuda Indonesia flight was pronounced guilty of the murder and sentenced to 20 years, but was freed late 2014 following remissions; former Garuda president director Indra Setiawan got 12 years. Former State Intelligence Agency deputy Muchdi Purwoprandjono faced trial but was acquitted.
On Monday an unprecedented ruling from the Central Information Commission stated that the State Secretariat must disclose to the public the report of the investigation into Munir's death that a government-appointed team submitted to the then president more than a decade ago.
The commission also stated that the reason why the government has not announced the findings to the public is "also information that must be disclosed to the public".
The ruling was a response to a public information request filed by the independent Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), which had once been chaired by Munir.
It was its last resort after seeing no sign of light in the case despite pledges made to the public and Munir's widow, Suciwati, by then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. His eventual successor, Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, has resolved to settle this and other historic human rights abuses.
The State Secretariat has claimed it does not possess the investigation report, while the commission says this does not relieve it of its responsibility.
Are we still getting the same signs that there will be no progress in the case?
On Wednesday Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto sought to assure the public: "We will investigate this case. The government has nothing to hide."
If the report revealed new findings that could open further investigations into Munir's murder case, the Attorney General's Office would process the new information in accordance with the law, Wiranto said.
The most important expectation is for Jokowi to prove his repeated intentions to settle past human rights abuses and use all his powers to resolve the murder of Munir. Therefore, officials should not distract us with legal technicalities on what can be disclosed to the public regarding criminal investigations, or point fingers at whoever lost the documents about Munir's death.
It was Munir who people turned to when their children went missing, or when family members were kidnapped, tortured and killed, either for being branded state enemies following land disputes or for voicing dissent, for instance. He sat on a number of fact-finding teams including those on crimes in Aceh and the former East Timor.
In their hearts, therefore, many people know why he was murdered. The continued cover-up and feigned ignorance over resolving the case is a main security threat, as murderers walk free along with their license to annihilate any target deemed necessary.
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/10/14/find-munir-s-killer.html.
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