Ari Saputra, Jakarta – Thousands of balloons were released into the air on Monday September 7. The coloured balloons with pictures of Munir symbolised five years since the death of the human rights activists.

“Munir was murdered in the air [on a Garuda Airways flight on route to Amsterdam – JB.]. Just like this,” shouted Choirul Anam, one of the coordinators of an action by the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) as he pointed at the balloons above the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta today.

The brief 30-minute action was a continuation of an earlier demonstration at the Attorney General’s Office (AGO). Hundreds of people alighted from their vehicles and took hold of the balloons. Then, in unison, the balloons were released attracting the attention of drivers passing by the traffic circle.

As a result, the flow of vehicles from Jl. Sudirman in the direction of Jl. Thamrin came to a standstill, particularly since the action was held at the same time as people were returning home from work, which causes the traffic to move at a snails pace.

After releasing the balloons, the protesters began moving off to the nearby Proclamation Monument. There they will end the action by urging the AGO to conduct a judicial review of the release of Muchdi Purwoprandjono. (Ari/sho)

[Translated by James Balowski.]