Marsinah probe maybe reopened<\/p>\n
SURABAYA (JP): The East Java military has pledged to support
\nand be helpful to any efforts to reopen investigation into the
\ndeath of labor activist Marsinah, almost seven years ago.<\/p>\n
Spokesman for Brawijaya Military Command, Lt. Col. Djoko Agus,
\nsaid here on Wednesday that the military would open its arms to
\npolice or any other parties that wish to completely unveil the
\ndark case.<\/p>\n
Djoko was responding to Minister of Manpower Bomer Pasaribu,
\nhimself a former labor activist, who vowed to have the mystery of
\nMarsinah's death disclosed.<\/p>\n
Marsinah, a worker of a watch factory, PT Catur Putra Surya,
\nin Porong, East Java, was found dead in an area close to a teak
\nforest in the regency of Nganjuk on May 9, 1993. Her death was
\nlinked to a workers' demonstration to demand better salaries,
\nwhich she had led a week before.<\/p>\n
The district court here found nine people, including military
\npersonnel and the company's director Yudi Astono, guilty of
\npremeditating the murder of Marsinah. Dissatisfied public
\nprosecutors then appealed to the Supreme Court, which, to
\npeople's surprise, exonerated them in 1995 for 'inadequate
\nevidence'.<\/p>\n
Trimoelja D. Soerjadi, Yudi Astono's lawyer, said on Wednesday
\nthat he was pessimistic over the plan to reopen the case.<\/p>\n
\"Success fully depends on the (political) will of the
\nmilitary,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Why didn't the Military Commander order the reopening of the
\ncase? The military is the key to this enigma. Will the military
\nbe open hearted and accept punishment for its members?\"<\/p>\n
Trimoelja won the Yap Tian Hiem human rights award in 1993 for
\nhis disclosure of human rights violations in the questioning of
\nthe accused in the Marsinah case.<\/p>\n
The East Java provincial legislative council established on
\nWednesday a special team to deal with the dark case. The team,
\nled by Djarot Hidayat, was given no deadline to collect new
\nevidence. (nur\/sur)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/marsinah-probe-maybe-reopened-1447893297",
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