U.S. NGOs Write Indonesian President on Murder of Human
Rights Activist Munir
Office of the President
Istana Merdeka
Jakarta 10110
Indonesia
via fax: (202) 775-5365
e-mail presiden@ri.go.id
December 3, 2004
Dear President Yudhoyono:
It with sincere regret that -- as we congratulate you as the
first popularly elected President of Indonesia -- we must also raise
as an extremely urgent matter the assassination of our friend and
colleague Munir. Among those Indonesians working to promote respect
for human rights and democracy, no Indonesian was held in greater
regard within Indonesia and around the world.
As great as was the shock of his unexpected death, subsequent
confirmation by competent Dutch authorities that Munir was murdered
has overwhelmed his many admirers around the world.
Mr. President, we deeply appreciate your stated desire to ensure
that the perpetrators of this criminal act are apprehended and fully
prosecuted. As you are aware, the international community has been
consistent and unanimous in its criticism of the Indonesian
Government for its failure, for many years, to ensure justice in the
case of many grave human rights abuses. We recall with sadness and
outrage the torture and murder in the year 2000 of another respected
human rights advocate, Jafar Siddiq Hamzah. Jafar's murder
investigation was flawed for many reasons, including a failure to
share the full autopsy report with his family and investigation
techniques that alienated his friends and family. We note with great
concern that Jafar's murderers remain at large.
We respectfully urge that you take all actions necessary to
ensure that the Indonesian police apprehend the murderers of Munir
and that the Indonesian courts effectively prosecute those
responsible. Specifically, we urge the following:
- That the Indonesian government, under your leadership, convene
an independent investigation involving Indonesia's National
Commission on Human Rights and professional and well-respected
civil society attorneys and human rights defenders;
- That the investigation team report directly to you and that
they receive your personal and public assurances regarding their
safety and access to all informational, financial and human
resources necessary to the success of the investigation;
- That the Indonesian police provide Munir's family immediate
access to the entire autopsy report.
- That the Indonesian police, with your full and public backing,
provide effective protection from intimidation and violence to
Munir's family and friends .
Your leadership provides an opportunity for the Indonesian
government to demonstrate that the commitment to democratic values
reflected in your country's remarkable electoral process, which won
broad international praise, extends also to matters of justice and
accountability for criminal actions, such as Munir's assassination,
that undermine the rule of law and democracy in Indonesia.
Sincerely,
John M. Miller
Media and Outreach Coordinator
East Timor Action Network
Suraiya IT
Chair
International Forum for Aceh
Scott Nova
Director
Worker Rights Consortium
Bama Athreya
Deputy Director
International Labor Rights Fund
Ed McWilliams
Indonesia Human Rights Network
S. Eben Kirksey
West Papua Action Network
Miriam Young
Senior Program Officer
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights
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