There may be three main ideas of Munir’s struggle for human rights. First, it fights against various structures and policies violating the human rights with no fear at all. In the cases in Indonesia, the structure that is often liked to human rights violations are military institution or the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) and the Police (Polri). That is why the process to enhance the human rights will directly and indirectly deal with the military. To make the military not to be part of the politics and to create professional army under the civil supremacy have become his ideas as the main pre-requisite to decrease the level and quantity of gross human rights violations in Indonesia, which in it history can never be separated from the military. Before passing away, he suggested that the Draft of the TNI’s Law recover the Dual Functions[2] (Dwi Fungsi) of TNI.

He also urged that the army’s political role be totally unaccepted and rejected since it means we provide room for other gross human rights violations.

Second, he always stood up for the victims of human rights violations and took their side. He always put their interests and aspirations before anything so that we can consider what he said is the victim’s perspectives. Humbly, he never forgot allocating his time to be with the victims. He listened to their deep sorrow, scream, hope, anger and also despair. He was always alert 24 hours 7 days and ready to be visited and called by those, victims of human rights violations, for counseling and advice. He was even available for just listening to their complaints. Based on those things, indeed, he emotionally and psychologically understood how the victims and their families felt.

Everything he had publicly campaigned and stated was the reflection of their hope, complaints, disappointment and courage. His organic relationship with them has made him a figure of a defender who keeps deeply rooting. It was only one in a million that a human rights defender at the international level kept being humble and down to earth and was always there standing for the victims. Only he could do that.

Third, courage is the most important thing in struggling for the human rights in Indonesia. Munir was a phenomenon because he continued moving forward and leading the victims and the society to keep criticizing every single policy, the paramilitary and state practices which violated the human rights. That is why it remains to be seen that the military apparatus are still against and allergic to him and all his activities to defend human rights. He never gave up fighting for the victims’ rights. He even often faced a series of terror from being threatened to be killed to bomb explosion at his residence. We hope his spirit and courage become the diaspora to all human rights defenders.

Of course, knowing that he has passed away, we feel a great loss. Nothing can take his place. To commemorate him, all his great works to stand for the victims and to fight all structures directly and indirectly linked with the human rights violations are still continued. This is the best thing for us to do to remember the most courageous human rights defender in Indonesia: MUNIR.