Indonesian Police Arrest Ex-Intelligence Deputy over Murder of Prominent Activist

Indonesian police have arrested the former deputy head of the NationalIntelligence Agency for involvement in the 2004 murder of prominentactivist Munir Thalib. VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins in Jakarta has more.

Theformer deputy head of Indonesia's National Intelligence Agency andformer head of the military's special forces, Muchdi Purwopranjono,surrendered to police Thursday night.

Police spokesman Abubakarsays Muchdi will be charged with premeditated murder for the poisoningdeath of prominent activist Munir Thalib.

"Yesterday he wassummoned, he came with his lawyer and his status is already a suspect,and he will be charged with premeditated murder," he said.

Munir died of arsenic poisoning while on a flight to Amsterdam with the nation's flag carrier Garuda in September 2004.

Thelong and controversial investigation into his murder has been seen as atest of how serious the government is about upholding the rule of laweven when it may include state agencies such as the NationalIntelligence Agency.

Hendardi, a human rights lawyer, lauded thearrest of Muchdi, saying it is will help unravel what many believe isthe conspiracy behind Munir's murder.

"This is just thebeginning to see who the real actors are behind this case - the actorwho planned it, the actor who carried it out, and the actor who gavethe orders," he said.

Munir angered Indonesia's military andintelligence agency by exposing systematic human right abuses in thecountry, most especially in Aceh and Papua provinces.

At the time of Munir's murder, Muchdi was the deputy head of the National Intelligence Agency responsible for covert operations.

InDecember 2005, Pollycarpus Priyanto, a Garuda pilot and alleged memberof the intelligence agency, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for hisrole in Munir's murder.

But in October 2006, his conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court, citing insufficient evidence.

Pollycarpus'scase was reopened by the Supreme Court for a judicial review and hewas sentenced again in January to 20 years in prison.

Humanrights lawyer Hendardi says pressure from the government of PresidentSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the Indonesian people kept Munir's casealive.

"We can give appreciation to President Yudhoyono becausethe case is still moving forward, which is because of the politicalwill from the government, and also because of the tremendous pressurefrom the people," he said.

The National Intelligence Agency denies any links to Pollycarpus or to Munir's murder.