Ulma Haryanto, Jakarta – Asmara Nababan, a prominent Indonesian human rights activist passed away at the age of 64 on Thursday morning after battling pulmonary cancer.

He was taken to Fuda Hospital in Guangzhou, China on Oct. 12 when his health deteriorated.

Asmara's nephew, journalist Putra Nababan, confirmed the news of his uncle's death. "He was treated in the ICU for a week but his condition worsened this morning," he told the Globe.

Asmara was pronounced dead at 12:30 p.m. local time. "His wife and children were there with him. They are in a meeting to discuss when the body can be flown to Indonesia, because they have to follow the regulations there. We hope this will be as soon as possible," Putra said.

Asmara was the secretary general of the National Human Rights Commission. Before he fell ill, he was the chairman of the Democracy Research Center, which he founded with other human right activists such as Munir Said Thalib and Arief Budiman.