“We are tired of bowing down to the circumstances, we no longer want to hear sweet promises of lies out of solace,” poet Bentara Bumi said as she read out her poem during a Kamisan protest in front of the State Palace in Jakarta on Thursday. Her emotions soared into the air.

“We are fed up with hypocrisy covered in purity; there is no purity in the bloodshed of cruelty.”

Titled Manungsa, a Javanese word for human, the poem was read by Bumi before a crowd of activists and survivors and families of victims of past human rights abuses who participated in the Kamisan, a weekly silent protest.

Although Bumi said she had written the piece back in May, the words fittingly described the struggle of Suciwati, the widow of slain human rights defender Munir Said Thalib, as she continues to demand justice be done following her husband’s murder.

“This is my prayer for all of us here so that we will never surrender,” said Bumi, 34, who is also the founder of the poetry-reading movement Malam Puisi (Poetry Night).

Thursday’s Kamisan protest was the 552th time activists, including Suciwati, have occupied a small spot in front of the State Palace to demand the government resolve past human rights abuse cases, including that of Munir. Just like Kamisan protests past, they held black umbrellas, which have become the symbol of protests.

Munir, who was known for his crusade to bring justice against those responsible for past abuses, was killed during a Garuda Indonesia flight to the Netherlands on Sept. 7, 2004. He died from arsenic poisoning.

Fourteen years on, the murder case, which has been described by many as a serious act of terror against those who fought for human rights, continues to remain shrouded in darkness.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo promised to resolve the case during a meeting with dozens of human rights activists he invited to the Presidential Palace on Sept. 22, 2016. To date, however, he has yet to make any significant moves to resolve the case.

“What we demand is justice, which means that [Munir’s murder] case must be resolved thoroughly. [Justice cannot] stop at punishing only the low-level perpetrators,” Suciwati said.

Although three individuals — all of whom were employees of Garuda Indonesia — have been convicted for their roles in Munir’s murder, activists have pointed out that the authorities have yet to reveal and hold accountable the masterminds behind the assassination.

All three convicted now walk free, with the latest to be released being former Garuda Indonesia pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, who became a free man again last week after completing his parole period — granted to him in 2014 after serving only eight years of his 14-year prison sentence.

Suciwati said the truth behind the case and the main perpetrator had already been uncovered in a government-sanctioned fact-finding team (TPF) investigative report on the murder, a document of which was submitted to the State Palace during the presidency of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

However, the current State Secretariat denied being in possession of the investigative document in 2016, after the Public Information Commission (KIP) ordered the government to release the TPF report, and thus argued it could not disclose the results of the investigation.

Activists, however, have taken this statement with a grain of salt, especially as the Palace had received a copy of the document from Sudi Silalahi, the former state secretary under Yudhoyono’s administration, days after the missing report fiasco came to light in 2016.

“Resolving Munir’s case should be easier now as [I believe] there are facts in the TPF document [that can be investigated further to reveal the mastermind]. So, it is now only about [Jokowi’s] bravery and willingness to solve the case,” Suciwati said.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International Indonesia campaign manager Puri Kencana Putri said that if Jokowi wanted to prove his commitment to human rights, he should find the courage to face Suciwati and explain what has hampered efforts to resolve the case.

She said that justice for Munir also meant justice for all other victims and survivors of past atrocities because Munir was considered a human rights champion who handled numerous rights abuse cases before his death.

“If we know who the mastermind behind Munir’s murder is, we will [be able to] discover the motive [behind the murder], which is suspected to be related to the cases he advocated for,” she said.

Ifdhal Kasim from the Office of Presidential Chief of Staff said that Jokowi had ordered National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian to review Munir’s case and look into the possibility of reopening the investigation into the case.

“The Police’s Criminal Investigation Department has been ordered to study the case to decide whether or not the case will be reopened,” Ifdhal told The Jakarta Post.

Munir case timeline

Sep. 7, 2004

Munir, 39, dies on Garuda flight GA-974 from Jakarta to Amsterdam where he was intending to continue his studies.

Dec. 22, 2004

As pressure to solve Munir’s case mounts, then-president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono issues a decree on the establishment of a fact finding team.

March 18, 2005

Police name former Garuda pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto a suspect in the case.

June 24, 2005

The fact-finding team sends its investigative report to, among others, Yudhoyono and then-cabinet secretary Sudi Silalahi.

Dec. 20, 2005

Pollycarpus is sentenced to 14 years in prison for premeditated murder and for falsifying documents. Yudhoyono is yet to release the fact-finding team’s report to the public.

Oct. 3, 2006

The Supreme Court acquits Pollycarpus’ of his murder charges because of insufficient evidence.

June 7, 2007

Pollycarpus is investigated by police once again.

Jan. 25, 2008

Pollycarpus is sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Supreme Court after losing a case review filed by prosecutors from the Attorney General's Office (AGO).

Oct. 2, 2013

Pollycarpus' prison sentence is cut to 14 years by the Supreme Court.

Nov. 28, 2014

Pollycarpus is released on parole after serving eight years of his 14-year sentence.

Oct. 10, 2016

The Public Information Commission (KIP) rules in favor of Kontras and Munir’s widow Suciwati that the 2005 investigation report produced by the fact-finding team was public information that should be disclosed to the public.

Sep. 22, 2016

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo promises to resolve the case in front of dozens of human rights activists that he invited to the Presidential Palace.

Feb. 16, 2017

An administrative court annuls KIP’s writ ordering the state to disclose the investigative report.

June 13, 2017

The Supreme Court rejects Kontras’ appeal.

Aug. 29, 2018

Pollycarpus is declared a free man after completing his parole.

Source: various sources

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