Cablegate: Timika Trial Opens

VZCZCXRO1875
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #8958 1991037
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 181037Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7382
INFO RUCNFB/DIR FBI WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 3187
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEAWJB/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC

UNCLAS JAKARTA 008958

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FBI PLS PASS CTD/GAO - UC MONTOOTH
STATE FOR EAP/MTS,DS/DSS, DS/IP/EAP, DS/EAP/ITA, AND
CA/OCS/ACS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC CASC KJUS PHUM ID
SUBJECT: TIMIKA TRIAL OPENS

REF: A. JAKARTA 8688 (TIMIKA DEFENSANTS REFUSE TO APPEAR)

B. JAKARTA 8224 (OPENING OF TIMIKA TRIAL DEFERRED)
C. JAKARTA 8114 (TRIAL OF TIMIKA SUSPECTS)

1. (SBU) Anthonious Wamang, Agustinus Anggaibak and five
other co-conspirators appeared in Jakarta Central Court on
July 18 to face charges in connection with the 2002 murders
of two Amcits in Timika, Papua. The three-hour July 18
session was administrative in nature, devoted to identifying
the suspects and reading the charges. Conoff, poloff, and
POL assistant attended. The defendants' lawyers were not
present.

2. (SBU) Wamang, charged with premeditated murder, refused to
cooperate with the court. He did not respond to the judge's
request that he acknowledge his identity, and did not answer
the charges against him.

3. (SBU) Anggaibak and the other co-conspirators confirmed
their identities, and nodded or said "I understand" when
asked whether they understood the charges against them. The
Rev. Isak Onawame, charged as a co-conspirator, made a
statement objecting to being tried in Jakarta. The judge
responded that he must register this objection in writing
with the aid of his lawyer. The judge also noted that the
defendants' lawyers were not present, and said that the
seriousness of the charges obliged the court to provide legal
counsel for the next session if the defendants desired this.

4. (SBU) Following these proceedings, the trial was adjourned
until August 1. The judge commented that in order to
expedite the trial, she would consider holding sessions twice
weekly after that point.

5. (SBU) Many journalists attended the session. A protestor
in the courtroom raised her voice from time to time but was
apparently not deemed disruptive enough to be removed. There
was a heavy police presence.
PASCOE

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