AMBASSADOR REASSURES MUNIR'S WIDOW SUCIWATI OF USG

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 002680

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

EAP, EAP/MTS,EAP/MLS, DRL/PHD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINS KJUS ID
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR REASSURES MUNIR'S WIDOW SUCIWATI OF USG
COMMITMENT

REF: A) JAKARTA 163 B) JAKARTA 2111

Classified By: Ambassador Cameron Hume, reasons 1.4 (b) (d)., Reasons 1
.4 (B,D)


1. (C) Summary: Suciwati, wife of murdered human rights
activist Munir, called on the Ambassador September 20,
expressing appreciation for U.S. support. The Ambassador
emphasized to Suciwati how solving this case is of paramount
importance to the USG and how we have expressed these views
to the GOI at the highest levels. Suciwati's human rights
attorneys told the Ambassador that the case review hearings
to overturn the acquittal of Munir's alleged murderer have
concluded, and that the dossiers have been sent to the
Supreme Court for a decision. End Summary.


2. (C) In a September 20 call on Ambassador Hume, Suciwati,
the widow of murdered human rights activist Munir, told the
Ambassador how much she values U.S. support and cooperation
in solving this case. She and her human rights attorneys
thanked the Ambassador for our assistance and statements,
including a statement by Ambassador Hume during his Senate
confirmation hearing which was widely publicized in
Indonesia. Suciwati said the Munir case is a determining one
for democratic reform in Indonesia. She also asked if we
could share the results of cell phone data which the FBI had
extracted from phones related to the case, which the FBI had
turned over to Indonesian National Police (INP). (ref A)

Ambassador States Importance of Munir Case
--------------

3. (C) Ambassador Hume responded that her husband's case is
getting close attention from the USG and is having a profound
impact on the bilateral relationship. The Ambassador said he
had raised the issue that same day with the President's
office. As for cell phone information, the Ambassador said
that because this case in the courts, the USG cannot give out
any of the cell phone data that the FBI turned over to the
police. He said expectations might be too high regarding the
technical ability of the USG to retrieve information from
these cell phones.

Supreme Court Decision is Crucial
--------------

4. (C) Asmara Nababan and Usman Hamid, the two human rights
attorneys who headed the Fact Finding team into the
September 2004 murder, told the Ambassador that the Jakarta
Central Court completed its case review hearings on September

19. The dossiers from the court's findings have been turned
over to the Supreme Court, which will now consider the
Attorney General's request that the acquittal of the alleged
murderer, Garuda airlines pilot Pollycarpus Budihari
Priyanto, be overturned based on new evidence. If
Pollycarpus is convicted, the court case could immediately
proceed to try other new suspects, including Garuda airlines
executives also charged in the case and perhaps even current
and former officials with the National Intelligence Agency
(BIN) who might be implicated, Nababan said (ref B). The
Supreme Court could rule in as soon as a month, he said.
(Note: National Police Chief Sutanto told the media September
19 that once the case review has been decided, police will
continue their investigation, indicating that BIN officials
would also be investigated.)


HUME