Munir autopsy report leads police to Holland
Munir autopsy report leads police to Holland
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
As part of a thorough investigation into the death of rights
campaigner Munir, the National Police has allowed the coordinator
of the National Commission on Missing Persons and Victims of
Violence (Kontras), Usman Hamid, to join a police team heading to
the Netherlands.
Usman said the team would leave for Amsterdam on Wednesday for
a series of meetings with Dutch investigators, collect the
original autopsy report and hire a local lawyer there.
The Indonesian police team, comprising forensic and toxicology
experts, are expected to read all the legal documents, including
the files on several people who have been interviewed in
connection with the death of Munir on Sept. 7.
"Munir's wife refused to join the police team and asked me to
represent her," said Usman, who is also a lawyer.
The wife of Munir, Suciwati, demanded last week the report of
the autopsy performed on her husband and a thorough investigation
of his death.
The autopsy, which was conducted in a Dutch hospital,
discovered excessive arsenic levels in Munir's body.
Munir was found dead aboard a Garuda Indonesia flight a few
hours before landing at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. He was
traveling to the Netherlands to study for a master's degree in
human rights at Utrecht University.
Usman said Dutch investigators had questioned the Garuda crew
and a doctor who attempted to help Munir before he died. The
Netherlands police also examined all the medical equipment on the
plane that was used by the doctor as he gave Munir first aid.
"They (the Netherlands police) also recorded the passport
numbers of all passengers on board both the flight to Singapore
and to Amsterdam," Usman said.
Munir changed flights in Singapore but to another Garuda
plane.
National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar ordered a criminal
investigation last week into Munir's death, acknowledging that
the death was suspicious.
Fearing that Munir's death could have been a political
assassination, fellow activists have called for the establishment
of a joint team consisting of the police and members of the
National Commission on Human Rights.
But Usman said the government had yet to respond to the call.
Usman also said he hoped to meet with members of the
Netherlands parliament, as well as journalists and activists, in
a bid to rally support for a thorough investigation.
According to Usman, Kontras has started investigating the case
and collected information on the death of Munir. The non-
governmental organization plans to publicly announced their
findings once the police finish their investigation.
"Therefore, support from both inside the country and the
international community is badly needed," Usman said.