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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