NEW MUNIR CASE EVIDENCE GIVES WIDOW HOPE

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000163 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2016 TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL PINR KCRM KJUS ID SUBJECT: NEW MUNIR CASE EVIDENCE GIVES WIDOW HOPE REF: A. JAKARTA 13885. ¶B. JAKARTA 13007 ¶C. JAKARTA 12300 ¶D. 05 JAKARTA 16710 ¶E. 05 JAKARTA 15789 ¶F. 05 JAKARTA 15680 ¶G. 05 JAKARTA 5820 AND PREVIOUS JAKARTA 00000163 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: POLITICAL OFFICER STANLEY HARSHA, REASONS 1.4 (b) and (d ) ¶1. (S) Summary: Suciwati, widow of murdered human rights activist Munir, asked the Ambassador January 18 about press reports that the FBI was examining cell phones connected to the Munir case to extract information. Ambassador Pascoe confirmed the FBI had indeed extracted information from the cell phones and informed Suciwati the information would be turned over to the Indonesian police in the next few days. (Note: Legatt received information extracted by the cell phones on January 17 which will be turned over to Indonesian National Police Chief Sutanto during his January 23 visit to the U.S. End Note). Human Rights lawyers accompanying Suciwati briefed us on a meeting they held that day with the lead police investigator for the Munir case, Anton Charliyan. According to Charliyan, police have received unofficial testimony from witnesses indicating that former chief of National Intelligence (BIN) Hendropriyono chaired meetings during which assassination plans for Munir and other human rights activists were discussed. Although the witnesses are said to be afraid to provide formal testimony, Suciwati and her lawyers characterized the news as an unexpected breakthough and expressed surprise at Hendropriyono's alleged involvement in the assassination. They had suspected that he was involved in only a cover-up. End Summary. ¶2. (S) Suciwati, wife of murdered human rights activist Munir, called on the Ambassador January 18 to seek confirmation of media reports about FBI efforts to extract messages from cell phones connected to the Munir case. She was accompanied by two human rights attorneys, Rafendi Djamin, coordinator of Human Rights Watch Group, and Usman Hamid, Coordinator of the Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence. Embassy Legatt, who had accompanied lead police investigator Charliyan to Quantico with the five cell phones in early December (ref. A),has received the extracted information from the FBI. However, the FBI has not examined this raw data, which will be presented to Chief of Police Sutanto when he visits the FBI next week. The Ambassador told Suciwati that the FBI had successfully extracted information but had not evaluated the data, noting that it would be turned over to the INP for examination. When Suciwati asked for a copy of the evidence, the Ambassador said it would be inappropriate for us to give her this information. He suggested that she ask the police for the results after they have had a chance to analyze the evidence. Suciwati and the two lawyers told us they would not talk to the media about the extraction of cell phone information until after we have had a chance to present the material to the police. ¶3. (S) According to Raffendi and Hamid, Charliyan revealed that field investigators had recently interviewed witnesses in East and West Java, gaining important new information implicating former BIN Chief Hendropriyono. Charliyan reportedly said these witnesses told police that Hendropriyono chaired meetings with BIN officials and others at which assassinations of Munir and other human rights activists were planned. There was a larger preliminary meeting, followed by a smaller meeting with Hendropriyono and just three other persons at which specific plans were discussed. Hamid said Charliyan told him that a senior BIN official and two two-star generals attended the second meeting, along with Hendropriyono, but Raffendi was not able to confirm that. Until now, Hamid and other activists had believed that Hendropriyono was involved only in a cover-up, so Hamid was surprised that witnesses implicated Hendropriyono directly. ¶4. (S) The two lawyers said the alleged witnesses were afraid to give formal testimony and Suciwati asked if the USG could offer technical assistance to help police protect the witnesses. Ambassador Pascoe replied that the Embassy has provided training for the police and prosecutors in a number of general areas, and that the Embassy would explore general police training in witness protection -- though not directly linked to the Munir case. Indonesia needs help implementing the new Witness Protection Law passed last August, Hamid noted. ¶5. (S) According to Raffendi, Charliyan told the Suciwati JAKARTA 00000163 002.2 OF 002 delegation the Munir case could be solved in just a couple of hours if BIN really wanted to cooperate. However, Charliyan told them that Hendropriyono's influence remains very strong, chilling cooperation by BIN. Police sent investigators clandestinely to BIN to seek evidence, discovering that there are important meeting notes which Hendropriyono has removed, Charliyan told the delegation (ref. E). ¶6. (S) Charliyan also told the delegation he would be willing to make arrests today if his direct superior, Suryadarma, would let him. Charliyan said there are two possible next steps in the Munir case: either ask the Attorney General to pursue the case based on new evidence (if the cell phone messages or other evidence pans out); or submit new dossiers without new evidence based on what they already have. ¶7. (S) Raffendi and Hamid said they also are very heartened by the new head of the Criminal Investigation Division, Bambang Hendarso, the former North Sumatra Police Chief, and will meet with him next. Hendarso has a good track record of not being corrupt, respecting human rights, and cracking down on illegal logging syndicates, they said. Raffendi and Hamid said they have no trust in Suryadarma, however. ¶8. (S) The Suciwati delegation is also talking to diplomats from Singapore and the Netherlands to verify public comments that police investigators have made about visiting those countries to follow-up on other evidence. Charliyan told us in early December that these other visits would take place sometime after the investigating team's visit to the FBI, but that he was not yet involved in those other visits. ¶9. (S) Comment: Suciwati and her human rights lawyers have renewed hope of a breakthrough in the case. Previously, it was pinned primarily on extracting messages from the cell phones but is now bolstered by possible new testimony and a redoubled effort by authorities to get at the truth. By all indications, President Yudhoyono and National Police Chief Sutanto support the investigation; otherwise, Charliyan would not have been able to make progress, given the lack of cooperation by BIN and inaction by prosecutors. According to the media, as recently as December 29, Yudhoyono called in three senior officials to discuss the Munir case: Political, Legal and Security Affairs Coordinating Minister Widodo, Police Chief Sutanto and BIN Chief Siregar. If the account of witnesses opening up to police is accurate, this is a major breakthrough. As recently as December 1, Charliyan told us that he was pessimistic anyone would ever talk without BIN support. The Mission is seeking opportunities to provide witness protection training to the police. End Comment PASCOE