'Powerful institution' may be behind Munir's death

'Powerful institution' may be behind Munir's death

Tiarma Siboro/Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Rights activists say certain powerful institutions were behind
the poisoning of fellow campaigner Munir and urge President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to set up a joint team to investigate
and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) director Rachland
Nashidik said on Wednesday that the proposed team should be co-
chaired by someone appointed by the President and a public figure
trusted by Munir's family and rights non-governmental
organizations.

"We believe that political motives are behind the death of
Munir and we must stop such dirty works from happening again,"
Rachland said in a press conference also attended by chairman of
the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI)
Hendardi.

Rachland said they had sent a letter to President Susilo,
requesting him to hold a hearing with them.

"Now, we are waiting for his response," said Rachland.

According to him, police lack the courage to investigate the
powerful institutions involved in Munir's poisoning.

He declined to name the institutions, but said that the
perpetrators were "familiar with secret tasks, well-trained and
close to certain powerful institutions."

"I can't point my finger directly (at the guilty parties), but
we all know that the military didn't like him (Munir)," Rachland
said.

Hendardi said the team must be independent, transparent and
accessible to the public.

"The scandal will remain a scandal if the government fails to
ensure a fair investigation process," he said.

In a bid to win public support, Munir's fellow activists have
moved to collect more signatures to pressure the government.

Munir was found dead aboard a Garuda Indonesia flight a few
hours before it landed at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. He was
traveling to the Netherlands to undertake a master's degree in
human rights at Utrecht University.

The autopsy, which was conducted by Dutch doctors, found
excessive arsenic levels in Munir's body, leading to the
preliminary conclusion that he was poisoned during the flight.

Munir rose to prominence in 1998, when he reported the
abductions of activists by certain personnel within the powerful
Indonesian Military (TNI). Since then, he has been known as a
strong critic of the military, which, in many cases, has been
accused of orchestrating violent acts.

Munir -- who founded both Imparsial and the Commission of
Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) -- had also
been a fierce critic of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN)
over its antiterrorism bill.

"He was a real defender of victims of state-sponsored
violence," Rachland said.

Meanwhile, a National Police team comprising doctors,
toxicologists and an investigator is slated to fly to the
Netherlands on Thursday morning (today) in a bid to seek the
original autopsy results and follow up on the case.

The team held a two-hour long meeting at National Police
Headquarters on Wednesday and most of the team members -- Dr.
Budi Sampurna and Dr. Ridla Bakri of the University of Indonesia,
Dr. Amar Singh of North Sumatra University, Adj. Comr. Agung
Widjajanto, Adj. Comr. Anton Charlijan, Dr. Adi Queresman of the
National Police, Andi Ahmad Bahsari of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, and Usman Hamid of Kontras -- attended the meeting.