National

President to Form Investigation Team into Munir’s Death
Friday, 26 November, 2004 | 19:50 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is to very soon issue a presidential decision and establish a team to investigate the death of Indonesian human rights activist Munir.

The team shall consist of several public figures, work independently and support the work of the police.

Rachland Nashidik, Executive Director of the non-governmental organization Imparsial, said the president really wanted to find out who murdered Munir and have them punished.

Therefore, “President Yudhoyono approved the establishment of the independent investigation team,” Nashidik said at the State Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday (24/11).

Nashidik, together with the wife of the late Munir, Suciwati, chairman of Indonesian Missing Person’s Family Association (IKOHI) Mugiyanto, and lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis, met with the president on that day.

According to Nashidik, the president has requested a written concept regarding the establishment of the independent investigation team.

Nashidik promised to immediately deliver the requested concept to the president on Thursday (25/11).

“We hope that the investigation into this matter can start from today (Wednesday (24/11),” he stated.

Nashidik said that he would suggest several names, including National Mandate Party chairman Amien Rais, PP Muhammadiyah organization chairman Syafii Ma’arif and lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis, to be members of the investigation team.

According to Nashidik, the investigation team shall also involve the police and public prosecutors in order to prevent mistakes that have occurred in the past when similar investigation teams into several violence and human rights violations were set up.

“The result of independent investigation teams failed to be followed up on after they had been delivered to the police,” he said.

On the same occasion, Andi Mallarangeng, the president’s spokesman, said that President Yudhoyono had expressed his concern on this matter to Suciwati.

The president also promised to carry out all effort that he could in order to solve this murder case.

Mallarangeng denied that the National Police Chief General Da’i Bachtiar had reported to the president about four people suspected to be involved in Munir’s death.

Bachtiar, Mallarangeng said, only reported the difficulties that the National Police headquarters (HQ) forensic team had in obtaining the original document regarding Munir’s autopsy result in the Netherlands.

However, Mallarangeng confirmed that the police had already interviewed several people.

“Among the people is the wife of the late Munir, Suciwati. She was questioned on Tuesday afternoon (23/11),” Mallarangeng stated. (Yura Syahrul/Martha Warta-Tempo News Room)