'Indonesia’s National Human Rights Commission Establishes a Day for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders', 14 September 2021

... The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) of the Republic of Indonesia has designated September 7 as the Day for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders. On 7 September 2004, Munir Said Thalib (39 years old) was killed aboard the Garuda Indonesia airline GA-974 on a Netherlands-bound flight by being poisoned with arsenic. To this day, the resolution of Munir's case is still unclear, only the perpetrators in the field were arrested...

Munir's steadfastness in fighting for human rights was reflective in his work on the freedom of expression, the right to freedom of opinion and association, labor rights, seeking justice after the violence that occurred in various places including Papua and Aceh, and much more.

During the same plenary meeting, Komnas HAM decided on the Regulatory Norms (SNP) for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders. This document serves as a guide for key stakeholders, especially state administrators, in understanding the roles and functions of human rights defenders and supporting efforts to respect, protect, and fulfil the right to defend human rights Indonesia. This document also intends to serve as a benchmark for assessing policies, laws and regulations related to the protection of human rights defenders in Indonesia. These advancements contribute to the recognition of the important work of human rights defenders in Indonesia, as well as the need to continue advocating for the better fulfillment of fundamental human rights in the country...