asked in 2005,
answered by Mrs Suciwati

1. Mrs Suciwati, you are the widow of Mr. Munir. Where did your husband’s commitment to human rights come from?

He developed his commitment to human rights after his studies at university, when he worked in the Legal Aids Institute in Surabaya, East Java. He was a good lawyer and concerned with labour problems.


2. Do you think the Indonesian investigators are doing everything to find those guilty of the assassination?

Yes, they are investigating, but not well and seriously. (…) The Indonesian police has no courage to investigate the main actor behind the assassination.


3. You are continuing his work. How is your situation now?

At present, I am concerned with human rights defenders’ protection, because my husband was a human rights defender himself. (…) My main focus is my husband‘s case.


4. What is your hope regarding the government of Indonesia?

I always hope the government has serious concern for my husband’s case because if there is no serious investigation the credibility of the nation will be questioned, not only by Indonesian citizens – but also by the international society.


5. Do you want to continue what your husband did?

Actively, I focus on human rights defenders’ protection so that others learn from what happened with my husband! I really focus on my husband’s case, as one of the prominent human rights defenders in Indonesia.


6. What effect has the RLA had on your work?

The solidarity of RLA empowers me in my advocacy on the case. The solidarity of RLA also gives me a strong belief that I am on the right track because I was the family of the man who was killed because of his thoughts and activities.