Find below, six reports from Dec. 8 to Dec. 20:
* 200 demand mastermind of Munir’s murder be caught
and tried
* Munir case a test for the presidents’ authority -
Suciwati
* ’Police not afraid of terrorists, so why afraid of
Munir’s killer’
* Suciwati calls for BIN’s former deputy director to
be tried
* Pollycarpus trial failed to reveal brains behind
murder: BIN
* Pollycarpus is just a scapegoat, the state is protecting the mastermind
All articles from Detik.com translated by James Balowski and circulated by Indoleft service.
200 demand mastermind of Munir’s murder be caught and tried
Detik.com - December 20, 2005
Fitraya Ramadhanny, Jakarta - Dissatisfied with the
court’s decision to sentence Pollycarpus Budihari
Priyanto to 14 years jail, around 200 activist from
the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of
Violence (Kontras) have urged President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) to try the mastermind behind
the murder of human rights activist Munir.
The demonstrators spread out in front of the State
Palace on Jalan Medan Merdeka Utara in Central
Jakarta at around 1.30pm on Tuesday December 20.
In a speech, Kontras coordinator Usman Hamid said
that the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) is
deeply involved in the Munir case and he hopes
therefore that the investigation will not end with
Pollycarpus. The government is being asked to
uncover the real mastermind behind the murder.
"The president must bring in and try the mastermind
of Munir’s murder and the Munir TPF [Fact Finding
Team] must continue their work", he said
passionately.
Most of the demonstrators were victims of the May
1998 violence, the Bojong incinerator case and so
on. Some of the demonstrators wore T-shirts with
Munir’s picture and headbands with the writing
“human rights”. Others brought banners reading "Try
the mastermind of Munir’s murderer". Poster with
pictures of Munir also adorned the demonstration.
It was not just young people that attended - a
number of housewives and parents of victims of
violence also joined the demonstration shouting
“Drag in and try Hendropriyono”. Hendropriyono is
the former director of BIN.
Demonstrators were guarded by around 50 police
officers. Before holding the action in front of the
Palace, they were present at the sentencing of
Pollycarpus at the Central Jakarta State Court.
Following the hearing, they proceeded to held a
long-march to the State Palace. (umi)
Munir case a test for the presidents’ authority - Suciwati
Detik.com - December 20, 2005
Fitraya Ramadhanny, Jakarta - Around 200
demonstrators from the Commission for Missing
Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) held an
action in front of the State Palace demanding that
the government uncover the mastermind behind Munir’s
murder. The action - that ended at 3.45pm - was
closed by a speech by Munir’s wife, Suciwati.
In her speech, Suciwati said that the investigation
into the Munir case identified the State
Intelligence Agency’s (BIN) involvement therefore
the political support of president Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono (SBY) is needed to complete the
investigation into the case to the point where the
mastermind is brought to court.
The action in front of the State Palace on Jalan
Medan Merdeka Utara on Tuesday December 20 was held
in response to the Central Jakarta State Court’s
decision to sentence Garuda pilot Pollycarpus to 14
years jail. The demonstrators believe that the trail
has been unable to uncover the real brains behind
Munir’s murder.
"President SBY must [act] concretely on his
commitment. Solving the Munir case is a test for the
presidents’ authority. If the president just remains
silent, it means that the president agrees with
[efforts to] sabotage his commitment and policies on
law enforcement", said Suciwati passionately.
After Suciwati’s speech ended, demonstrators
disbanded and departed in four large busses. The
participants represent a coalition of families who
have been the victims of violence in Bojong,
Tangerang, Bogor and the May 1998 tragedy. (san)
’Police not afraid of terrorists, so why afraid of Munir’s killer’
Detik.com - December 20, 2005
Nurvita Indarini, Jakarta - The sentencing of
Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto was enlivened by a
demonstration by hundreds of activists from the
Solidarity Action Committee for Munir. But they were
not demanding that Pollycarpus receive a heavier
sentence - rather that the police investigate the
other perpetrators of Munir’s murder.
These demands were depicted in the posters brought
to the action. "SBY [President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono], prove that you’ve got guts“,”The police
are brave when it comes to terrorists, [but] why are
they afraid of Munir’s killer“and”The police don’t
have the guts to uncover the Munir case", read the
posters.
The action was held by some 500 people from the
National Student League for Democracy (LMND), the
Indonesian Environment Forum (Walhi), the Commission
for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence
(Kontras), the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation
(YLBHI) and the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human
Rights Association (PBHI) on Jalan Gajah Mada, the
road in front of the Central Jakarta State Court
building.
Inside the building meanwhile, the court was in the
process of hearing the verdict against Pollycarpus.
The session that began at 10.10am on Tuesday
December 20 was presided over by Judge Cicut
Sutiarso.
According to the head of Kontras’ operational
division, Edwin Partogi, they are disappointed with
the process of democratisation and human rights that
never seems to make any headway. "President SBY
already knows who is behind Munir’s murder, but is
unwilling to divulge it", he said.
The demonstration included a happening art action
that depicted Munir’s persistence in struggling for
human rights even though it meant that he had to
face terror threats and end was himself murdered.
Two demonstrators organised the happening art
action. One wearing white shorts and no shirt with
their hands, feet and head tied with ribbon, and
their whole body covered in thorny roses. The other
person wore various kinds of white cloth and a mask
as they danced. (gtp)
Suciwati calls for BIN’s former deputy director to be tried
Detik.com - December 20, 2005
Nurvita Indarini, Jakarta - Although Pollycarpus
Budihari Priyanto has been sentenced to 14 years
jail, Munir’s wife, Suciwati, appears not to care.
Suciwati is instead asking that the mastermind
behind Munir’s murder be brought before the courts.
Who is that?
"I don’t care if Pollycarpus is jailed for life or
sentenced to death. What is clear is that I will
seek justice because Polly[carpus] was the
perpetrator on the ground, the ones that must be
pursued are the masterminds", said Suciwati.
Suciwati conveyed this following Pollycarpus’
sentencing at the Central Jakarta State Court on
Jalan Gajah Mada in Jakarta on Tuesday December 20.
Is Muchdi [Purwopranjono] (an ex-National
Intelligence Agency deputy director) behind Munir’s
murder? "It could be so. It could be that behind
Muchdi there is still another mastermind. Polly was
not [acting] alone. This is a political conspiracy",
said the mother of two children.
According to Suciwati therefore, the police and
investigators’ job it to bring Muchdi before the
courts. "This is in order that the motive for
Munir’s murder becomes clear", said Suciwati.
As has been reported, Pollycarpus was sentence to 14
years jail. He was declared guilty and found to have
committed the premeditated murder of Munir. The
verdict was lighter than the life sentence demanded
by the prosecution. Pollycarpus has refused to
accept the verdict and will lodge an appeal. (aan)
Pollycarpus trial failed to reveal brains behind murder: BIN
Detik.com - December 20, 2005
Luhur Hertanto, Jakarta - Pollycarpus has been
sentenced to 14 months jail by the Central Jakarta
State Court. The verdict however, has failed to
touch on the brains behind the murder of human
rights activist Munir. The prosecution also failed
to uncover the brains of the murder.
"He (the prosecutor) has not yet been able to reveal
who was behind Pollycarpus", said the director of
the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), Syamsir
Siregar, following a meeting of a final assessors
team at the presidential offices on Jalan Medan
Merdeka Utara in Central Jakarta on Tuesday December
20.
Siregar expressed his regrets over the performance
of the investigating team that he says failed to
optimally take advantage of the resources and
facilities provided by the government. In fact the
team was given the broadest possible opportunity to
solve the Pollycarpus case but the outcome was
instead that Pollycarpus was brought before the
courts on charges of falsifying documents.
When asked why the investigators did not perform
optimally, Siregar said it is precisely that which
needs to be asked of police. "Just ask the police.
We [BIN] have been cooperative from the start. If
the police want to investigate [us], please, there’s
no problem", he explained.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has referred to
the Munir case as a test of the government’s
handling of human rights cases. When asked to
comment on this, Siregar turned the question around.
“Then why are you asking me”, he burst out laughing.
(san)
Pollycarpus is just a scapegoat, the state is protecting the mastermind
Detik.com - December 8, 2005
Machhendra Setyo Atmaja, Jakarta - A sentence of life
imprisonment for Pollycarpus Budihari Prijanto is
unsatisfactory as he is only a scapegoat. There is
concern that the state is protecting the mastermind behind the Munir murder case.
"I think the president already knows quite a bit about
the mastermind. We are concerned there are forces that are being protected by the state. In the case of Munir,there cannot be [parties] that are immune from the law",
declared the operational coordinator of the Commission for
Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Edwin Partogi.
Partogi was acting as the coordinator of an action
held by
around 1,000 people from the Solidarity Committee for
Munir, a forum concerned with developments in the
Munir
case. They had gathered at the Proclamation Monument
in
Cikini, Central Jakarta.
They then took 12 large- and medium-sized buses to the
State Palace on Jalan Medan Merdeka Utara arriving at
around 12.20pm on Thursday December 8.
"We demand that the Munir murder case be solved and
the
mastermind tried. We are totally dissatisfied with the legal process that is currently underway.
Polly[carpus] is
only one of the perpetrators. We hope that all of
those who
are involved, including BIN [the State Intelligence
Agency], be declared suspects and tried", said
Partogi.
According to Partogi, since the Munir Fact Finding
Team was
disbanded, the investigation into the Munir case has
suffered a setback. He is also asking that in solving
the
case the government not allow there to be those who
are
immune from the law.
In resolving the murder of the human rights activist
he
continued, it is not enough to punish just one person, because Munir’s murder was premeditated and carried
out by
more than one person.
During the action in front of the State Palace, the
demonstrators brought banners and posters with demands calling for the Munir case to be solved as well as
large
photographs of Munir’s face.
A happening art action was also held. The
demonstrators
depicted Pollycarpus as being just a scapegoat while
there are still many other perpetrators who are not being
tried.
Six men whose bodies were smeared with mud danced
while
repeatedly shouting “democracy” and asking “why”.
The action was then followed by speeches. After around
15
minutes they were joined by a group of farmers and
workers
who had earlier demonstrated in front of the State
Palace.
They then gave joint speeches from the stage.
After some 30 minutes, at around 1.30 the
demonstrators
moved of to the national police headquarters to hold a similar action. The plan is for an action to be held
by
representatives from Kontras, the Legal Aid
Foundation,
Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial), the
Indonesian
Environmental Forum (Walhi), the Bojong Integrated
Waste
Treatment Facility Society, the Victims of the
Kotabumi
Land Evictions, the Tanjung Priok Victims and the
Batang
and Pekalongan Farmers Society which will end at 4pm.
(bal)