Detik.com
- September 9, 2009
Shohib
Masykur, Jakarta – The coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and
Victims of Violence (Kontras), Usman Hamid, took time out on Wednesday to wish
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) a happy birthday.
Hamid, the
suspect in a case of alleged defamation against former top spy Muchdi
Purwoprandjono, also demanded that Yudhoyono fulfill his promise to resolve the
murder of renowned human rights activist Munir.
“To Mr. SBY,
I want to say happy birthday. Consider this as a gift to remember that there is
still a promise that has to be fulfilled,” said Hamid during a break in a press
conference at the Kontras offices on Jl. Borobudur in Central Jakarta on
Wednesday September 9.
The promise
referred to by Hamid was Yudhoyono’s pledge to resolve Munir’s murder, as Yudhoyono
once stated that the Munir case represented ‘homework’ for the upholding of
human rights.
Without a
resolution of Munir’s murder, said Hamid, the upholding of human rights in
Indonesia will be under threat. If people in the past can arbitrarily do away
with other people and not be punished in kind, cases such as Munir’s murder
will occur again.
It is also
not impossible that in the future there will be other victims, not just
activists but attorney generals, justices of the Supreme Court, members of the
House of Representatives, and even presidents. “We still have to see whether
with his increased political powers SBY will be capable of resolving human
rights problems or not,” said Hamid.
Second
police summons
Meanwhile a
member of the Solidarity Action Committee for Munir (Kasum), Choirul Anam said
that they will respect the laws that are in effect. Hamid will fulfil the
second summons from the Metro Jaya regional police after failing to appear
earlier in the morning.
“We will
respect the laws that are in effect. We will attend (the second summons). But
because Hamid had an event, he was unable to attend earlier,” said Anam.
(sho/anw)
Notes:
Yudhoyono
was born in Pacitan, a small town in East Java, on September 9, 1949.
[Translated
by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “Expressing happy
birthday to SBY, Usman demands fulfillment of promise to resolve Munir case”.]
