Jail term sought for religious minister<\/p>\n
JAKARTA: An Indonesian prosecutor called Monday for a
\nChristian priest to be jailed for five years for allegedly
\npossessing guns in a strife-torn district of Central Sulawesi
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
Prosecutor I Putu Gde Jeladha Palu said Renaldy Damanik, 44,
\nhad been proven guilty of possessing three home-made rifles and
\n144 rounds of ammunition.<\/p>\n
Renaldy, 44, general secretary of the Christian Church Synod
\nof Central Sulawesi, is a vocal Christian community leader in the
\nPoso district.<\/p>\n
Intermittent sectarian clashes between Muslims and Christians
\nwhich broke out in 2000 in the district left up to 1,000 people
\ndead.<\/p>\n
Putu Gde said the firearms and ammunition were found in
\nRenaldy's car when police searched it in August last year.<\/p>\n
Renaldy has accused the police of planting the weapons. He
\nsaid there were no witnesses to the alleged discovery of the
\nguns.<\/p>\n
The priest has been a strong critic of the security forces
\nhandling of the violence in Poso, often accusing them of taking
\nsides.<\/p>\n
The court hearing resumes on June 9, Judge I Nyoman Somanada
\ntold AFP from the provincial capital of Palu.<\/p>\n
;AP;
\nANPA ..r..
\nAS-GEN--Indonesia-Papua
\nActivists allege Indonesian military abuses in Papua
\nJP\/<\/p>\n
Activists allege abuses in Papua<\/p>\n
JAKARTA: Indonesian troops are suspected of killing a prisoner
\nin custody and of torturing several other people in a recent
\noperation in easternmost Papua province, a human rights group
\nsaid Monday.<\/p>\n
The military denied the charges, the latest in a series
\nleveled at soldiers in the separatist-minded region on the
\nwestern side of Papua New Guinea island.<\/p>\n
In a 68-page report, the local human rights group Coalition
\nfor the Protection and Upholding of Human Rights said the alleged
\nabuses were committed in central Papua in April by troops
\nsearching for the killers of two soldiers in the area.<\/p>\n
Papua is home to a small separatist movement that has been
\nbattling Indonesian rule since 1969.<\/p>\n
Anum Siregar, a spokesman for the group, said the team had
\ncollected data on 35 separate cases of arrest, torture and
\nintimidation and 17 arson attacks on homes in the central Papuan
\nregion of Wamena.<\/p>\n
\"There has been torture of suspects ... especially in military
\ndetention before they were handed over to the police,\" the report
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
One of the suspects -- identified as Yapenas Murib -- died in
\na hospital on Apr. 14 after being tortured in military custody,
\nthe report said.<\/p>\n
Col. Djazairi Nachrowi, a military spokesman in Jakarta, said
\nhe was aware of the allegations, but that they were false.<\/p>\n
\"The process of investigation and the interrogation of those
\nimplicated in the case was according to our procedures,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"There were no reports of violence.\" --AP<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jail-term-sought-for-religious-minister-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }