Cablegate: Witness Testimony in Timika Trial to Begin Next

VZCZCXRO3817
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #0704 2411006
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 291006Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9257
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IMMEDIATE
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY IMMEDIATE 3211
RUCNFB/DIR FBI WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RUEAWJB/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS JAKARTA 010704

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FBI PLS PASS TO CTD/ITOS I, CTD/ITOS II, GOU
SECSTATE FOR EAP/MTS AND DS/DSS, DS/IP/EAP, DS/EAP/ITA, AND
CA/OCS/ACS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC CASC KJUS ID
SUBJECT: WITNESS TESTIMONY IN TIMIKA TRIAL TO BEGIN NEXT
WEEK

REF: A. JAKARTA 10297 TIMIKA TRIAL SESSIONS PROCEED
WITHOUT DEFENDANTS
B. JAKARTA 9996 TIMIKA TRIAL: DEFENSE FILES
EXCEPTION MOTION
C. JAKARTA 8958 TIMIKA TRIAL OPENS

1. (U) Chief Judge Nurdin announced that witness testimony
would begin next week in the trial of the seven men accused
of killing two Amcits in Timika, Papua in 2002. Beginning on
September 5, trial sessions will take place twice a week, on
Tuesdays and Fridays, in order to accommodate the number of
witnesses scheduled to testify. As expected, Judge Nurdin
ruled against the "exception" submitted by the defense on
August 8, declaring that the Supreme Court's decision to move
the trial from Timika to Jakarta was binding (ref B). The
defendants again refused to recognize the court's authority
and take their assigned seats in the courtroom, and Judge
Nurdin ordered them removed from the courtroom for the second
straight week. Lead Defense attorney Johnson Panjaitan did
not attend the session, although other attorneys from the
Indonesian Legal Aid Society (PBHI) were present.

2. (U) An estimated 50-100 Papuans staged a demonstration
outside the courthouse in support of the defendants. Many
also attended the session but did not disturb the
proceedings. A smaller rally sponsored by the West Papuan
People's Front for Unified Struggle took place outside the
Embassy on August 28. According to Embassy contacts, the
permit for the protest was filed by Socrates, a student at
Cendrawasih University in Jayapura, Papua.
PASCOE

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