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FORMER GENERAL ARRESTED FOR ACTIVIST'S MURDER

Date: 2008 June 20, 09:38 (Friday) Canonical ID: 08JAKARTA1207_a
Original Classification: CONFIDENTIAL Current Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Handling Restrictions -- Not Assigned -- Character Count: 5382
Executive Order: -- Not Assigned -- Locator: TEXT ONLINE
TAGS: ID - Indonesia (/plusd/?q=&qftags=ID#result) | Concepts: -- Not Assigned -- (/plusd/?q=&qfconcept=--
KJUS - Administration of Justice (/plusd/? +Not+Assigned+--#result)
q=&qftags=KJUS#result) | PGOV - Political
Affairs--Government; Internal Governmental
Affairs (/plusd/?q=&qftags=PGOV#result) |
PREL - Political Affairs--External Political
Relations (/plusd/?q=&qftags=PREL#result)
Enclosure: -- Not Assigned -- Type: TE - Telegram (cable)
Office Origin: -- N/A OR BLANK -- Archive Status: -- Not Assigned --
Office Action: -- N/A OR BLANK --
From: INDONESIA JAKARTA (/PLUSD/? Markings: -- Not Assigned --
Q=&QFORIGIN=INDONESIA%23%23JAKARTA#RESULT)
To: AUSTRALIA CANBERRA (/PLUSD/?
Q=&QFDESTINATION=AUSTRALIA%23%23CANBERRA#RESULT)
| AUSTRALIA PERTH (/PLUSD/?
Q=&QFDESTINATION=AUSTRALIA%23%23PERTH#RESULT)
| CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (/PLUSD/?
Q=&QFDESTINATION=CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
AGENCY#RESULT) | CHINA BEIJING (/PLUSD/?
Q=&QFDESTINATION=CHINA%23%23BEIJING#RESULT) |
DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (/PLUSD/?
Q=&QFDESTINATION=DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE
AGENCY#RESULT) | JAPAN TOKYO (/PLUSD/?
Q=&QFDESTINATION=JAPAN%23%23TOKYO#RESULT) |
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL (/PLUSD/?
Q=&QFDESTINATION=NATIONAL SECURITY
COUNCIL#RESULT) | NEW ZEALAND WELLINGTON
(/PLUSD/?Q=&QFDESTINATION=NEW
ZEALAND%23%23WELLINGTON#RESULT) | PAPUA NEW
GUINEA PORT MORESBY (/PLUSD/?
Q=&QFDESTINATION=PAPUA NEW GUINEA%23%23PORT
MORESBY#RESULT) | SECRETARY OF STATE (/PLUSD/?
Q=&QFDESTINATION=SECRETARY OF STATE#RESULT) |
THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
(/PLUSD/?Q=&QFDESTINATION=THE ASSOCIATION OF
SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS#RESULT)

B. JAKARTA 173
C. JAKARTA 112
D. 07 JAKARTA 3189
E. 07 JAKARTA 2311 AND PREVIOUS

JAKARTA 00001207 001.2 OF 002

Classified By: DepPol/C Stanley Harsha, for reasons 1.4 (b+d).

1. (C) SUMMARY: On June 19, Jakarta police arrested

retired general and former Deputy of the Indonesian National
Intelligence Agency (BIN) Muchdi Purwopranjono for the 2004
murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib. The
arrest marks the first time a retired military general has
been captured for involvement in a serious human rights
crime, contacts said. Activists called it a step forward in
Indonesia's fight against impunity. Suggested press guidance
is in paragraph 9. END SUMMARY.

A NEW ARREST

2. (SBU) The Indonesian government continues to press for

accountability in the 2004 murder of human rights activist
Munir Said Thalib. On June 20, retired general and former
BIN Deputy Muchdi Purwopranjono was arrested for involvement
in the murder. He will be charged with premeditated murder,
with a maximum possible sentence of death. Muchdi is the
first former general arrested for such a serious human rights
crime, human rights activists told poloff.

3. (SBU) Muchdi's arrest is the first in what activists hope

will be a series of steps by the Indonesian government to
investigate BIN for its possible involvement in the murder.
Muchdi was tied to the murder by Munir's fact-finding team in
2005. Open testimony by a BIN official in the trial of
now-convicted Garuda official Indra Setiawan revealed that
Muchdi had frequent contact with and ordered payments to
Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, the off-duty pilot sentenced
to 20 years for Munir's premeditated murder (ref C). Two
suspects were convicted for the murder this year: On January
27 Pollycarpus was convicted to 20 years for committing the
murder (ref A). On February 11 former Garuda Director Indra
Setiawan was convicted to one year for abetting the murder.

OTHER BIN SUSPECTS POSSIBLE

4. (C) On June 13, contacts told Acting Pol/C that according

to a police source, police have evidence implicating another
former BIN honcho. Police retrieved a letter signed by
former BIN chief M. As'ad that assigned Pollycarpus to the
flight on which Munir was poisoned. The letter incriminating
As'ad had been mentioned in court testimony but had been lost
(refs A, C). Police retrieved it from a BIN hard-drive,
according to contacts.

ACTIVISTS' RESPONSE

5. (C) On June 20 Usman Hamid, lawyer for Munir's widow,

told poloff the arrest came as a relief. The arrest was a
significant achievement for rule of law in the country, he
said. He expressed hope that international actors would
maintain interest in the case until the masterminds of the
murder were identified and prosecuted.

6. (C) Hamid expressed some concern that the case could be

used for political interests leading up to the 2009
elections. Hendropriyono, BIN Chief at the time of Munir's
murder, has connections with former president Megawati's
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), and may be
looking to protect himself from allegations against him or
BIN relating to the murder, he said. Hamid said sources in
Parliament (DPR) told him they are wary of Hendropriyono or
other former generals who dislike President Yudhoyono trying
to use the Munir case for their own political gain in the
coming months.

7. (SBU) Muchdi himself may have political ambitions as

 well. He is vice chair of the Great Indonesia Movement Party
(Gerindra), which supports former general Prabowo for
president. Muchdi is known to be close to Prabowo,
succeeding him as commander of the Army Special Forces in

JAKARTA 00001207 002.2 OF 002

1998. Muchdi was dismissed that same year over the

kidnappings of pro-democracy activists attributed to forces
under his command.

GOOD NEWS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY

8. (C) The arrest is a landmark in the GOI's commitment to

pursuing the perpetrators behind the murder case that
President Yudhoyono called "a test of Indonesia's history."
It marks a coup for Indonesian law enforcement that the
police arrested a former general and former deputy of BIN.
The arrest underscores GOI's commitment to pursuing justice
for Munir's murder. One senior advisor to Yudhoyono told
DepPol/C that given Muchdi's connections, his arrest could
potentially lead to implicating other senior former generals
for past human rights crimes, were he to talk. That said,
there is a long road ahead to ensure the legal process
continues to produce results.

9. If asked about the arrest of Muchdi Purwopranjono as a

suspect in the 2004 murder of human rights activist Munir
Said Thalib, Mission recommends the following press guidance:
-- The United States has closely monitored progress in
bringing to justice the killers of Indonesian human rights
activist Munir Said Thalib.
-- We are encouraged by progress in the case and hope that
the investigation ultimately results in full accountability
for the murder.

HUME

References to this document in other cables References in this document to other cables
08JAKARTA1252 (/plusd/cables/08JAKARTA1252.html) 08JAKARTA279 (/plusd/cables/08JAKARTA279.html)
If the reference is ambiguous all possibilities are listed.

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