Gagah Wijoseno, Jakarta – Suspicions that the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) was involved in the murder of Munir are becoming stronger. There is evidence that BIN is lobbying the United States over the case of the human rights activist.

“Members of congress have confirmed that there is an effort by BIN to lobby the US congress in connection with joint military relations, including the Munir case”, said Solidarity Committee for Munir (Kasum) member Usman Hamid at a press conference at the offices of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) in Jakarta on Saturday October 28.

Hamid added that during a trip to the US between 14-20 October, US Senators Patrick Leahy, Joseph Biden and Richard Lugar also told him the same thing. During the meeting, they confirmed that BIN representative had come to the US to discuss a number of issues including the Munir case.

But unfortunately, the Senate and the US Congress were not prepared to reveal further details about their meetings with BIN. “It was confidential, it could not be revealed just like that”, he asserted.

Another member of Kasum, Asmara Nababan, said that the Indonesian Ambassador to the US, Sudjanan Probohadiningrat, warned that the Munir case had already become a matter of concern within the international community. “He said, the government cannot play around. Aside from the international community, the Munir case has also become a focus in the US”, he said.

He also said that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) is hurting himself by ignoring the concerns of the international community. Prolonging the Munir case will only result in hampering Indonesia’s relationship with the international community.

“If SBY goes overseas there will most certainly be people asking questions about the Munir case that never seems to be resolved”, he said. (umi/jon)

[Translated by James Balowski.]