TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Siti Aisyah is the latest addition to the long list of Indonesian women who have been lured by foreigners to commit criminal acts.
Following the recruitment of hundreds of women as international drug couriers, Aisyah was used to set a trap by a group of North Koreans seemingly conducting an intelligence operation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The 25-year-old Aisyah, who only got an elementary school education, has become a suspect in the murder of Kim Jong-nam, half brother of North Korean President Kim Jong-un, at Kuala Lumpur 2 International Airport. She was arrested along with Vietnamese woman Doan Thi Huong, on suspicion of smearing poison on the face of Jong-nam.
During the March 1 indictment hearing at the Sepang Magistrates court in Selangor, the prosecutor stated that Siti Aisyah and Doan carried out the murder jointly in contravention of Articles 302 and 304 of Criminal Law No. 574. If the charges are proven in court, their lives will end on the hangman's gallows.
The killing of Kim Jong-nam was clearly no ordinary murder. The involvement of a number of North Korean diplomats and citizens make this a political assassination. Although it has been denied, the actions of North Korea should be condemned because this intelligence operation ended the life of a political opponent in another country.
The Indonesian government should provide Aisyah with the best possible defense. The top priority of the Foreign Affairs ministry and the attorney appointed by Malaysia must be to show that she was no more than a victim of a meticulously planned intelligence operation. The facts about the case must be uncovered along with evidence that will make Aisyah look good in court.
From the series of events, it is not difficult to see Aisyah as a person recruited by the masterminds behind the pre-meditated murder. While working as a therapist at Ningo Spa, Aisyah was sought out and tempted with cash and the promise of a career as a celebrity who would frequently appear on television.
The most likely story is that Aisyah was deceived by being asked to take part in training for the filming of a prank reality show. An investigation by this magazine has found that before the events that led to the death by VX poisoning of Kim Jong-nam on February 13, Aisyah was asked to attend 12 training sessions, nine in Kuala Lumpur, and three in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Hotels, malls and airports were used as rehearsal venues.
Her brief introduction to a North Korean man named Ri Jo-u, alias James, on January 5, via a taxi driver at a nighttime entertainment venue in Kuala Lumpur could be a key pointer. It is not usual for an acquaintance of less than a month and a half to turn a person like Aisyah into an agent. No less important is the motive for the murder. The Malaysian police must prove that the masseuse and night worker had an interest in killing the half-brother of the North Korean leader.
Evidence in the form of CCTCV recordings from various locations should be obtained so they can be played in court. Additionally, the statement of the person who introduced Aisyah to James, who is suspected of being an agent, would also support Aisyah's case.
Besides the evidence in court, the Indonesian government must also lodge a protest at the way the Malaysian authorities have handled the case. It is not right for the Malaysian Police to restrict access to representatives from the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur wanting to meet with Aisyah. Then there is the statement from Malaysian Police chief Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, who hastily pronounced Aiysah guilty of pre-mediated murder, ignoring the fact that she was tricked. A senior law enforcement officer should not have said that.
We also regret the way the Malaysian government handled the death of Kim Jong-nam. They seem to have been intimidated by the threats from the North Korean government. Instead of pursuing the four suspects who left Malaysia on the day of the incident, two suspects hiding in the North Korean embassy were allowed to return to their country.
The Malaysian government's confusion could be an opportunity to ask for a lenient sentence for Aisyah. The judges trying her need to be convinced that she was exploited in a premeditated crime. The most strenuous efforts possible to protect her must continue so she does not become a scapegoat--covering up the failure of the Malaysian authorities to catch the responsible people. (*)
Read the full story in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine
