August 16, 2025 | 05:49 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The mastermind behind the murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib remains unknown, even though the crime occurred 21 years ago. Suciwati, a human rights activist and Munir's widow, stated that the case should be officially designated as a severe human rights violation by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).
"This September, the case will have been 21 years old. Yesterday, I WhatsApped the Chair of Komnas, who is currently processing pro-justice," said Suciwati at Taman Ismail Marzuki, Central Jakarta, on Friday, August 15, 2025.
She hoped that this process would lead the commission to promptly label Munir's death as a severe human rights violation. Suciwati is convinced that her husband's murder was a systematic act involving state institutions.
According to Suciwati, designating a case as a severe human rights violation should not be based on the number of victims. “It's about how the state systematically kills its citizens,” she said.
Nevertheless, Suciwati does not place her full faith in Komnas HAM or any specific individuals. She has more confidence in civil society movements. She believes that these organic movements still possess the critical awareness to fight for the truth, despite being vulnerable to repression and slander from various parties.
She pointed out that civil society actions, such as the Kamisan Action, consistently pressure the state to swiftly resolve severe human rights violation cases. “But slander always exists. Some say that the movement is paid by A, B, C, D. But we don't want to hear because it's clear to us; we see how organic they are in their struggle,” she said.
Throughout his life, Munir was known as a relentless advocate for justice, particularly during the New Order era. He was frequently involved in advocating for the rights of workers, students, youth, and other marginalized groups. As a member of the Legal Aid Institute (LBH), Munir actively participated in actions demanding justice and resisting injustice.
However, his heroic struggle came to a tragic end on September 7, 2004, when he was poisoned with arsenic while on a Garuda Indonesia flight, GA-974, from Jakarta to the Netherlands. At the time, Munir was en route to continue his studies at Utrecht University in Amsterdam.
According to a KontraS report, Munir's murder was a systematic operation involving several high-ranking individuals, including those from Garuda Indonesia. Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, a Garuda pilot, was named as the person who administered the arsenic poison to Munir, even though it was his day off. The former CEO of Garuda Indonesia, Indra Setiawan, is also suspected of involvement, as he allegedly provided a duty letter to Pollycarpus.
Pollycarpus was initially sentenced to 20 years in prison, but after a series of changing legal decisions, his sentence was reduced to 14 years. In November 2014, he was granted conditional release, and in August 2018, he was declared fully free. Meanwhile, the role of Indra Setiawan in assisting Pollycarpus remains a partially unresolved mystery, leaving a significant question about the identity of the true mastermind behind Munir's murder.
Editor’s Choice: Komnas HAM Says Investigation Process of Munir Case Hindered by Absentee Witnesses
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