Team to probe Munir's death proposed<\/p>\n
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Activists and close friends of noted rights campaigner Munir
\nsubmitted on Friday, to the government, candidates for an
\nindependent team, who would assist the police in investigating
\nhis mysterious death.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) and the
\nCommission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras)
\nnominated 14 people, comprising lawyers, legal experts, rights
\nactivists, police, members of the House of Representatives, and
\nprosecutors.<\/p>\n
Among the proposed candidates are Muhammadiyah chairman Syafii
\nMaarif, rights campaigner Asmara Nababan, lawyer Todung Mulya
\nLubis, legal experts Bambang Widjojanto and Hendardi, and
\nchairman of the National Commission on Human Rights Abdul Hakim
\nGaruda Nusantara.<\/p>\n
\"The candidates were selected based on their expertise,
\nintegrity and credibility. Their main mandate is to monitor and
\nevaluate the investigation being conducted by the police,\"
\nImparsial director Rachlan Nashidiq told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono agreed on Wednesday to
\nestablish an independent team to probe Munir's death, leaving the
\ndesign and the structure of the team to rights activists.<\/p>\n
The team will work alongside the police's team, which is
\ncurrently in the Netherlands to obtain the original copy of the
\nresults of the autopsy on Munir.<\/p>\n
According to the draft, the team will report to the President
\nand complete its work within three months after embarking on its
\nmission. Its working period can be extended for another three
\nmonths.<\/p>\n
The draft says the team is authorized to convey opinions to
\nthe police, summon and question people connected to the case when
\nnecessary, and recommend to the President policies to prevent
\npolitical assassinations in the future.<\/p>\n
\"I submitted the draft to the President's spokesman, Andi
\nMallarangeng, who said he would immediately hand it over to the
\nPresident,\" said Rachlan.<\/p>\n
Imparsial, said Rachlan, would refrain from intervening in the
\nteam's work, which the team would fully control.<\/p>\n
Munir, the founder of both Imparsial and Kontras, died aboard
\na Garuda Indonesia flight heading to the Netherlands on Sept. 7.
\nAn autopsy conducted by a Dutch team showed high levels of
\narsenic in his body, raising speculation that he had died of
\npoisoning.<\/p>\n
Also on Friday, the Dutch parliament said it would hold an
\nemergency debate next Tuesday over Munir's death.<\/p>\n
\"Mr. Munir was a human rights activist, and such people should
\nget international protection,\" Farah Karimi from the Groenlinks
\nParty told AFP, adding that Dutch Justice Minister Piet Hein
\nDonner and Foreign Minister Bernard Bot would also take part in
\nthe debate.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the police are scheduled to quiz 10 more witnesses
\non Saturday, including a number of Garuda Indonesia crew members.<\/p>\n
\"We have questioned 13 people so far, including some of
\nMunir's relatives and Garuda crew members. Tomorrow (today) we
\nplan to question 10 more people who were around Munir that day,\"
\nNational Police chief of detectives Comr. Gen. Suyitno Landung
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He added that the government had sent Director General of
\nAmerican and European Affairs with the Ministry of Foreign
\nAffairs, Arizal Effendi, to the Netherlands to join the six-
\nmember police team.<\/p>",
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