Aceh defendants may get between 6 and 10 years in jail<\/p>\n
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): State prosecutors demanded on Saturday
\nprison terms of between six and 10 years for 24 soldiers and a
\ncivilian on trial for the killings at an Islamic boarding school
\nin West Aceh last year.<\/p>\n
The stiffest sentence of 10 years in jail was sought for the
\ncivilian defendant, Taleb, alias Aman Suar, for his possession of
\na gun believed to have been used in the killings.<\/p>\n
The prosecutors asked the court to hand down eight-years jail
\nterms for Capt. Anton Yuliantoro, Second Lt. Michel Asini,
\nSecond Pvt. Yuliansyah, First Pvt. Heriansyah and Second Lt.
\nTrijoko Adiwiyono.<\/p>\n
Seven-year terms were sought for 17 low-ranking defendants,
\nwhile prosecutors asked for six-year jail terms for Chief Pvt.
\nWahyono and Chief Pvt. Heriyanto.<\/p>\n
Prosecutor Nuraini A.S. said the defendants had been proven
\nguilty in the killing of local Muslim leader Tengku Bantaqiah and
\nat least 57 of his followers in the remote village of Beutong
\nAteuh on July 23 last year.<\/p>\n
Bantaqiah was the leader of the Babul Mukaromah Islamic
\nboarding school in Beutong Ateuh, some 80 kilometers from the
\nWest Aceh regency capital of Meulaboh.<\/p>\n
\"The defendants violated Article 338, Paragraph 1 of Article
\n55 of the Criminal Code by committing the murders,\" Nuraini said.<\/p>\n
The courtroom was crowded with visitors, there to hear the
\nreading of the sentencing demands. As it was for earlier
\nsessions, security outside the court was tight.<\/p>\n
The defendants maintained their composure during the session,
\npresided over by Judge Ruslan Dahlan. When asked by the panel of
\njudges if they wished to respond to the sentencing demands, the
\ndefendants said they would first consult with their lawyers.<\/p>\n
The team of defense lawyers requested a one-week adjournment
\nto study the sentencing demands and prepare a rebuttal. The
\nrequest, however, was rejected by Ruslan, who adjourned the trial
\nuntil Monday.<\/p>\n
\"We give you two days. If you are not able to read your
\nrebuttal on Monday, we will continue on and read the verdicts,\"
\nRuslan said.<\/p>\n
After the session, defense lawyer Maj. Kantor Ketaren told
\njournalists two days was an insufficient amount of time to
\nprepare a rebuttal. \"The judge was too arrogant.\"<\/p>\n
\"We want at least until Wednesday to prepare the rebuttal. If
\nthe judge turns down our request, we will look to the Supreme
\nCourt,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Aceh was relatively calm on Saturday following the overnight
\nsigning of a Joint Understanding on a Humanitarian Pause by
\nrepresentatives of the Indonesian government and the separatist
\nFree Aceh Movement (GAM) in Davos, near Geneva, Switzerland.<\/p>\n
Former foreign minister Roeslan Abdulgani welcomed the
\nsigning, saying it was \"a positive move in a bid to strengthen
\nthe republic's unity and sovereignty\".<\/p>\n
He called on the nation not to debate the appropriateness of
\nsigning the accord in Switzerland, which he said had much to do
\nwith security concerns.<\/p>\n
\"Let's not be too quick to judge. Everything must be viewed
\nfrom a broader perspective for the good of everyone,\" Roeslan
\nsaid after a seminar held by Pelita daily.<\/p>\n
However, noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid, another
\nspeaker at the seminar, criticized the government for allowing
\nthe accord to be signed overseas.<\/p>\n
\"Why Geneva? People in foreign countries might consider it an
\ninternational issue, whereas it is a domestic matter,\" Nurcholish
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He feared the signing would lead to new demands for the
\ntrouble in Aceh to be resolved through international mediation.<\/p>\n
Political observer Ichlasul Amal said the joint understanding
\nwould raise the government's popularity among the people of Aceh,
\nwho for years have longed for peace.<\/p>\n
\"GAM will lose its reputation if peace returns to Aceh. This,
\nhowever, requires the government's commitment to ending
\nmilitaristic methods in coping with the problems in Aceh,\" said
\nIchlasul, the rector of Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta.
\n(44\/50\/rms\/sur)<\/p>",
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