Indonesian Airline Not Cooperating with Investigation of Activist's Death

Human Rights First -- Media Alert

For Immediate Release: March 3, 2005

Contact: Kristin Flood, (212)845-5298/
FloodK [at] HumanRightsFirst.org

Indonesian Airline Not Cooperating with Investigation of
Activist's Death

The Indonesian national airline Garuda needs to cooperate fully
with the investigation into the death of Munir, Human Rights
First said today. One of Indonesia's leading human rights
activists, Munir died of arsenic poisoning on a Garuda flight to
Amsterdam six months ago. He was on his way to begin a master¿s
program in international law.

Garuda executives and staff have met with police and with the
separate fact-finding team appointed by President Yudhoyono. But
members of the team maintain the airline has not fully
cooperated. The airline cancelled a reconstruction of the crime
using their aircraft and crew, failed to carry out an internal
investigation, and has never satisfactorily explained the status
of an off-duty pilot on board the plane at the time of Munir's
death. On March 1, the police brigadier general who chairs the
fact-finding team stated that the pilot "could be named a
suspect in the case."

"When a crime takes place on one of your planes, and one of your
employees is named as a potential suspect, full cooperation with
investigators is in order," said Neil Hicks, Director of
International Programs at Human Rights First.

Earlier this month the airline cancelled a reconstruction of the
crime at the last minute. Indonesian police investigations
frequently carry out and record a reconstruction of a crime as
an investigation tool. The exercise was postponed again on March
1, though there were conflicting statements as to whether this
was on the initiative of Garuda or the police.

The police have interviewed over 90 witnesses but have not named
any suspects. The president appointed a fact-finding team to
support the police investigation at the end of last year. While
the team's scope and membership fell short of what Munir¿s
family and friends had hoped for, the team has worked to
maintain progress in the case.

"It's long past time for Garuda to provide any and all
information that might help solve this case," added Hicks. "The
airline should be eager to come forward and clear up any
suspicion of a cover-up."

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