RIGHTS-INDONESIA: Spy Boss’ Trial May Reveal More on Munir Murder

Global Geopolitics – Global News Blog – IPS
Thursday, August 28, 2008

All rights reserved, IPS – Inter Press Service, 2008.

Stephen de Tarczynski

MELBOURNE, Aug 28  (IPS)  – The current trial of former top Indonesian spy Muchdi Purwopranjono may be another stepping stone on the road to justice in relation to the sensational 2004 murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib.

”This is the first-ever case in Indonesia’s political history where a high-ranked former military general, former deputy head of the intelligence agency, was brought to trial,” Usman Hamid, executive director of the Jakarta-based Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) told IPS over telephone.

Muchdi Purwopranjono — deputy head of Indonesia’s state intelligence agency (BIN) at the time of Munir’s death and previously a chief of the Army Special Forces (Kopassus) –is currently on trial in Jakarta on charges of premeditating the murder of Indonesia’s foremost human rights defender.

Muchdi is also accused of orchestrating Munir’s death.

The activist died in agony on a Garuda Indonesia airlines flight from Singapore to Amsterdam in September 2004 after being poisoned with arsenic during a stopover in the island state. Munir, then 38 years old, was on his way from his homeland to the Netherlands where he was due to undertake postgraduate studies.

Prosecutors are arguing that Muchdi’s motivation for his alleged involvement in Munir’s death was revenge. They say that Munir was responsible for Muchdi’s dismissal as head of Kopassus after the human rights defender had exposed the latter’s involvement in the disappearances of several activists in the late 1990s.

Ironically, Muchdi’s sacking from Kopassus in 1998 after just 52 days at the helm of the special forces effectively allowed him to join BIN — which he did in 2003 — where he had the opportunity to target Munir for his outspoken stance on human rights abuses.

The trial of Muchdi, which began on Aug.21, is just the latest development related to the murder of Munir.

In 2005, former Garuda pilot Pollycarpus Priyanto was found guilty and sentenced to 14 years jail for poisoning Munir while at Singapore’s Changi airport. That conviction and sentence was subsequently overturned in 2006, only for Pollycarpus to again be found guilty in January this year following a judicial review, when he was handed a 20-year jail term.

But Munir’s murder remains an ongoing and controversial issue in Indonesia. His widow, Suciwati, has called for ”the intelligence people behind” Pollycarpus to be investigated following the former pilot’s guilty verdict, while a former chief of Garuda was sentenced to a year behind bars in February for his role in the death of Munir.

Indra Setiawan, who was president of Indonesia’s national carrier when Munir was killed, said during his trial that while he knew nothing of the plan to murder the rights activist, he did issue a letter which authorised Pollycarpus to travel on Munir’s flight as a ”security officer” — a letter which Indra maintained was only issued at the request of another former high-ranking BIN official, Mohammad As’ad.

While As’ad is expected to appear as a witness at the current trial, Muchdi — who his lawyer says is viewing the court proceedings as an opportunity to prove his innocence — faces the death penalty if found guilty.

Usman Hamid says that human rights activists are pleased to see Muchdi on trial. ”I think we all welcome the current legal proceedings on Muchdi,” Usman told IPS.

However, the head of Kontras — an organisation founded by Munir which has become one of the region’s most respected rights groups — says that it is too early to tell whether bringing a powerful figure like Muchdi to court, even on serious charges, indicates a move away from the apparent impunity for high-ranking officials that existed in Indonesia under former dictator Soeharto.

”It needs more action from the government, from the law enforcement agencies, to make sure that Muchdi’s trial is a symbol of a whole change in Indonesia,” says Usman.

And he argues that such symbolism would require that all those who were involved in Munir’s downfall, including other high-ranking individuals, be brought to justice.

”Since the beginning we have demanded that law enforcement agents bring [to trial] all the people who were involved in the case and I think that one of the most important people who needs to be brought to trial is former chief of the intelligence agency, [Abdullah Mahmud] Hendropriyono,” Usman told IPS.

Hendropriyono was head of BIN from 2001 to 2004, which encompassed the time of Munir’s murder. Although he has yet to be investigated by police regarding any possible involvement in the activist’s death, Usman says that Kontras will continue to push for such an investigation to take place.

”Unfortunately, until now we haven’t seen or haven’t heard that he has been under investigation by the police,” says Usman.

But he says that the previous trials of Pollycarpus and Indra provided a strong impetus for the likes of Hendropriyono to be brought to trial.

”Circumstantial evidence that has appeared in the court proceedings of the former director of Garuda and the former pilot of Garuda points strongly to the involvement of high ranking officials — not only Muchdi — but also the other deputies who were involved in the planning of the murder,” says Usman.

He is hopeful that Muchdi’s trial will reveal more evidence about others who were involved in Munir’s murder. ”The current proceedings can also bring more progress for future investigations,” he says.

”I think it has been experienced in the case of Pollycarpus where we were able to collaborate further evidence, further information about the involvement of the former director of Garuda, Indra Setiawan,” Usman told IPS, adding that Indra’s trial also provided information which helped in the investigation and subsequent arrest of Muchdi.

But in order for further evidence to be revealed during Muchdi’s trial, he argues that it is vital for the proceedings to be undertaken without interference.

”I hope that the prosecutors and also the judges can present all witnesses without exception and that they can present all evidence without exception, so that we can have more opportunities [to investigate further],” says Usman.

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