Maluku separatists jailed for 16 months<\/p>\n
M. Azis Tunny and Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Maluku\/Bandung<\/p>\n
The Maluku District Court sentenced on Tuesday nine members of
\nthe separatist South Maluku Republic (RMS) movement to 16 months
\nin jail for rebellion against the government.<\/p>\n
Presiding Judge Lodewijk Tiwery said the defendants had
\nattended \"secret meetings\" aimed at consolidating the
\nsecessionist movement as well as strengthening the Maluku
\nSovereignty Front (FKM), a group affiliated to the RMS.<\/p>\n
The meetings were usually held on Mondays and Saturdays at a
\ncertain place in Alang village to prepare for the RMS's
\nanniversary on April 25 next year, when they planned to hoist
\nseparatist flags, he added.<\/p>\n
During the meetings, the defendants prayed for FKM leader Alex
\nManuputty and his deputy Samuel \"Semmy\" Waileruny in order for
\nthem to be able to \"free Maluku from the Unitary Republic of
\nIndonesia\".<\/p>\n
Alex fled to the United States before his appeal against his
\nconviction had been dismissed by the Supreme Court. Along with
\nSemmy, he had been sentenced in early January by the North
\nJakarta District Court to three years in prison for plotting
\nrebellion.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta High Court upheld the sentences on the two
\nseparatists.<\/p>\n
However, Maluku Police arrested Semmy on Monday and sent him
\nto Jakarta to serve his three-year-jail term.<\/p>\n
The nine defendants sentenced on Tuesday were Fredrik
\nSabandar, Simon Halawane, Nataniel Manuhua, Josua Manuhua, Ruben
\nManuhua, Daniel Patty, Lukas Patty, Anthony Nussy and Dominggus
\nSohilait.<\/p>\n
\"The defendants have been proven guilty of involvement in a
\nconspiracy against the lawfully established government as
\nstipulated in Article 110 (1) of the Criminal Code,\" Tiwery told
\nTuesday's hearing.<\/p>\n
\"The defendants knew that what they did was wrong, but they
\nwent ahead nevertheless. Their activities could have led to
\nunrest among local people and triggered national disintegration,\"
\nthe judge added.<\/p>\n
The defendants said the so-called \"secret meetings\" were just
\nroutine prayer meetings of the sort regularly held by local
\nChristians. But they admitted that the prayers were led by Yusuf
\nSapakoly, the RMS commander in Alang village.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, they had yet to decide on whether to appeal
\nagainst the verdict.<\/p>\n
During the trial, the judges were presented with evidence in
\nthe form of an SKS-rifle, a Colt pistol and 50 rounds of
\nammunition.<\/p>\n
Despite the fact that Interpol has no jurisdiction over
\npolitical cases, National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said on
\nTuesday he would ask nevertheless ask Interpol to help find Alex.<\/p>\n
\"We are now seeking cooperation with Interpol and are
\ncollecting data to support our efforts. We will bring him (Alex)
\nback to Indonesia,\" he told journalists in Bandung, West Java.<\/p>\n
Alex is believed to be seeking support in the United States
\nfor the pro-independence campaign in Maluku.<\/p>\n
Da'i also said the police were investigating how Alex, who was
\nsubject to a travel ban, managed to leave the country.<\/p>\n
\"We will check with the immigration office to find out whether
\nAlex used authentic documents to go abroad or not,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/maluku-separatists-jailed-for-16-months-1447893297",
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