Alie Usman, Jakarta – Scores of social and non-government organisations that are part of the Friends of Munir movement gathered today to commemorate six years since Munir’s death, a human rights activists killed mysteriously on his way to continue studies in the Netherlands six years ago.

As well as holding joint prayers, the Friends of Munir also issued a statement on the slow pace of law enforcement agencies in handing the murder.

The group believes that over the last two years the government has ignored the Munir murder as well as other human rights cases. Moreover there is a sense that the Munir case is gradually starting to be buried and left behind.

Solidarity Action Committee for Munir (Kasum) Executive Secretary Choirul Anam said that over the last few years the government has done almost nothing to resolve the Munir case. Law enforcement agencies have failed to fulfill the public’s hope for justice as one of the principles of a constitutional state.

“We have seen over the last few years that the Munir case has been systematically weakened and neglected. It is as if Munir’s death has simply evaporated just like that. This is the serious problem currently being faced. The neglect of the Munir case is one among many instances of human rights cases being ignored. This is clearly a gross violation”, said Anam at the offices of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) on Sunday September 5.

As well as questioning what follow up efforts are being made in the case, the Friends of Munir are also urging the government, particularly President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to provide justice and fully resolve Munir’s murder and other human rights cases.

In addition to this, they are also demanding that the government immediately arrest the intellectual actors behind Munir’s murder in addition to [former State Intelligence Agency deputy] Muchdi Purwopranjono. This momentum should also be used to call on the government to declare September 7 [the anniversary of Munir’s murder] as Human Rights Defenders Day.

[Translated by James Balowski.]