Munir: Preserving Memory, Fighting for Justice

“The truth will never die.”
– Munir Said Thalib (Human Rights Activist)

Photo: Munir at LBH in the 1990s (CC BY 0.4)

September 7, 2025, marks exactly 21 years since Munir died after being poisoned with arsenic while en route to Amsterdam. Though he is no longer with us, the legacy of his struggle lives on in all our memories.

Getting to Know Munir

Born in Malang on December 8, 1965, Munir had demonstrated courage and compassion from a young age. From serving as president of the student senate at the Faculty of Law, Brawijaya University, he went on to join YLBHI and later founded KontraS (Commission for the Missing and Victims of Violence) in 1998. There, Munir stood alongside the families of victims of forced disappearances, abductions, and the shooting of students during the Semanggi Tragedy.

He also leads Imparsial, a human rights monitoring organization, and has received international awards such as the Right Livelihood Award (2000) and recognition from UNESCO for his commitment to tolerance and nonviolence.

Munir believes that defending the rights of workers, victims of enforced disappearances, and oppressed groups is not merely a matter of legal advocacy, but a commitment to humanity.

Photo: Suciwati in 2019 (CC BY 0.4)

Demanding Accountability, Fighting Impunity

Although some individuals have been brought to trial, the case has not yet been fully resolved. To this day, the case highlights the significant challenges in upholding justice in Indonesia.

The National Commission on Human Rights has indeed established an Ad Hoc Investigation Team and extended its mandate through 2025. However, political dynamics and a lack of concrete action have prevented the investigation from yielding the expected results.

As reported by BBC Indonesia (2025), human rights activists believe the state has “wasted so much time” that the Munir case has remained unsolved for 21 years. Usman Hamid, Chair of the Solidarity Action Committee for Munir (KASUM), emphasized that Munir’s murder is a serious crime that undermines justice, while his wife, Suciwati, urged the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to be more proactive in summoning those suspected of involvement. To this day, the masterminds remain at large, and the investigation has “stalled” amid a tug-of-war of political interests.

Preserving Memories, Fighting Forgetfulness

The Munir case is not merely a matter of history. It is a reflection of the present: it shows how easily state violence can recur if justice is allowed to “stall.”

Keeping Munir’s memory alive means refusing to forget that a human rights defender can die tragically, and that even two decades later, the truth remains buried.

Fighting for justice for Munir means holding onto the hope that one day, the law will no longer be subject to the interests of a select few, but will stand for all citizens.

Munir once said,“
Don’t stay silent. Silence means allowing injustice to continue.”

In the midst of this uncertain situation, our voices serve as a reminder that Munir is not alone. Munir may be gone, but his courage, principles, and vision for a just Indonesia live on

Let’s work together to preserve our memories and fight for justice!

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