Statement on the Death of U Ko Ni

January 30, 2017

 

The Habibie Center, the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, and Kemitraan: The Partnership for Governance Reform are deeply saddened by the news of U Ko Ni's assasination at Yangon International Airport after having just returned from a trip to Indonesia.
 
Ko Ni, a legal consultant for the National League for Democracy, was part of a Myanmar delegation that took part in a three-day discussion on ‘Democratic Transition, Military Reform and Communal Conflict: What can Myanmar Learn from Indonesia’s Communal Violence in a Time of Democratic Transition (1999 – 2003)’, which was co-organized by The Habibie Center together with the Ash Center and  Proximity Designs in Jakarta from January 23-25, 2017.
 
We are all the more saddened by Ko Ni’s violent death given that his visit to Indonesia was to learn from the experiences of the Maluku Islands  in defusing violent intercommunal and interreligious conflict that devastated the Ambon Municipality and parts of Maluku Province in 1999 to 2004 -- at a time when Indonesia was in critical juncture of democratic transition and military reform.
 
We strongly condemn his killing and call on relevant authorities to swiftly bring the perpetrator(s) to justice. At the same time we urge all those concerned to remember his passing by inviting steadfast support for the democratization process in Myanmar, including addressing communal/interreligious conflict.
Our thoughts and prayers go to his family. 
 
Contact:
(Ms) Mila Oktaviani
Communication Officer
The Habibie Center
Jl.Kemang Selatan No.98 Jakarta 12560
Tel: (62-21) 7817211 Fax: (62-21) 7817212
 
Daniel Harsha
Associate Director of Communications
Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation
79 JFK St, 
Cambridge, MA 02131
Tel: (617)-495-4347