Munir a hero, says court chief

Fri, 03/28/2008 11:27 AM  |  National

JAKARTA: Constitutional Court chief Jimly Asshiddiqie said Thursday murdered human rights campaigner Munir deserves a national heroes title for his outstanding contribution to justice.

"I suggest the government grant such a status," said Jimly, quoted by Tempointeraktif.com, at a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Munir co-founded in 1998.

Asked, out of Munir and former president Soeharto, who was entitled to hero status, Jimly said, "Every person has his or her own role-model. I am not an expert on Soeharto, so I choose Munir."

Munir, a staunch critic of military rights abuses during the Soeharto regime, was poisoned to death on board a Garuda Indonesia flight in 2004.

Ex-pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto was jailed for 20 years in the murder widely linked to the State Intelligence Agency. -- JP

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