Munir investigation stalls in Netherlands<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The National Police's commitment to thoroughly investigating the
\nsuspicious death of rights campaigner Munir is likely to soon be
\nput to the test, with the police team now in the Netherlands
\napparently at a loss to know where to start with its probe.<\/p>\n
The team's primary objective of collecting the original
\nautopsy report appears unlikely to be fulfilled as the Dutch
\ngovernment says it will hand over the document only if the
\ninvestigating team can produce a formal request from the
\nIndonesian government.<\/p>\n
National Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of
\nViolence (Kontras) coordinator Usman Hamid, who is a member of
\nthe police team representing Munir's wife Suciwati, told The
\nJakarta Post that the team was unable to produce such an official
\nrequest, a standard requirement under Dutch law.<\/p>\n
\"When asked by officials from the Dutch foreign affairs
\nministry for the request, the representatives of the police team
\nonly said that they would contact the Indonesian government back
\nhome to ask for the letter,\" Usman said in an e-mail on Saturday.<\/p>\n
National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar ordered the
\nestablishment of the team shortly after the Dutch authorities
\nsubmitted the autopsy report to the Indonesian foreign ministry.<\/p>\n
The team, comprising police investigators and forensic and
\ntoxicology experts, left Indonesia for the Netherlands on
\nThursday. They will, among other things, collect the original
\nautopsy report on Munir and hire a local lawyer in the
\nNetherlands.<\/p>\n
Munir was found dead aboard a Garuda Indonesia flight a few
\nhours before landing at Schipol airport in Amsterdam. The autopsy
\nperformed on his remains showed excessive levels of arsenic.<\/p>\n
Earlier in a press conference held in the Hague, a member of
\nthe team, Adj. Sr. Comr. Anton Charlian, said that his team was
\ncurrently drawing up a schedule of what it would do in the coming
\ndays.<\/p>\n
\"We are still making a schedule ... as our team is still
\nawaiting the results of negotiations,\" Anton said.<\/p>\n
His colleague, forensic expert Amar Singh, acknowledged that
\nthe team had in fact not yet studied a copy of the autopsy report
\nthat had been given by the Dutch Foreign Affairs Ministry to the
\nIndonesian government.<\/p>\n
Usman said that despite an endorsement from Dutch non-
\ngovernmental organizations and political support from the
\ncountry's opposition, including the Green and Socialist parties,
\nthe investigation into Munir's death would be unlikely to
\nprogress smoothly.<\/p>\n
\"After all the meetings, we are still in the dark over what
\nthe team will do while it is in the Netherlands. The team will
\ncontent itself with waiting for news from the Dutch foreign
\nministry about the possibility of meetings or activities relating
\nto Munir's death,\" Usman said.<\/p>\n
As a result, Usman said he was considering withdrawing from
\nthe team, saying that it would not be effective in shedding light
\non Munir's untimely death.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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