Trials of FKM activists begin; OPM chief charged<\/p>\n
M. Aziz Tunny and Nethy Dharma Somba, Ambon\/Jayapura<\/p>\n
Ambon District Court began hearings on Thursday for two
\nseparatist leaders in Maluku, while prosecutors in another
\ntroubled province, Papua, demanded a five-year term for a local
\nsecessionist suspect.<\/p>\n
Oly Manuputty, the wife of Maluku Sovereignty Front (FKM)
\nleader Alex Manuputty, who fled to the United States, and another
\nsenior activist, Moses Tuanakotta, stood trial separately on
\ncharges of treason.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors told the trials, presided over by the same judge,
\nIim Nurahim, that the two defendants were guilty of backing the
\nFKM's struggle for Maluku's independence from Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Oly and Moses are charged under Article 106 of the Criminal
\nCode on treason, which carries a minimum sentence of life or 20
\nyears' imprisonment, they added.<\/p>\n
Prosecutor Fauzi Marasabessy said that Oly had since 2001 been
\na member of the FKM, founded by the South Maluku Republic (RMS)
\nmovement, and actively participated in RMS 54th anniversary
\ncelebrations on April 25, 2004.<\/p>\n
The event led to three days of renewed violence in the Maluku
\ncapital Ambon, in which at least 41 were killed.<\/p>\n
\"The defendant (Oly) used her house as the FKM headquarters,
\nwhere authorities seized 35 documents on the organization as
\nevidence,\" Fauzi said.<\/p>\n
Oly also made phone contact with Alex twice a week to discuss
\nthe situation in Ambon and her FKM activities, as well as those
\nof her husband in the United States.<\/p>\n
Separately, prosecutor J. Maspaitella said Moses served as the
\nFKM secretary-general and led the April 25 celebration. \"The
\ndefendant stated his intention to build a sovereign and
\nindependent Maluku. Such a crime is against the law,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Moses and Oly were arrested during the April 25 commemoration
\nafter chairing a separatist flag-hoisting ceremony at her house,
\nwhich was also raided by police officers.<\/p>\n
Alex's conviction of separatism by lower courts was upheld by
\nthe Supreme Court last year. However, he managed to flee to the
\nUnited States.<\/p>\n
He may continue to evade incarceration as Indonesia has no
\nextradition treaty with the U.S.<\/p>\n
The peaceful trials were adjourned until next week. Oly's
\nhearing will resume on Monday, and Moses' next Thursday.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, three prosecutors -- Julius D. Teuf, Maskel
\nRambolangi and Agung Wibowo -- urged Jayapura District Court on
\nThursday to sentence Yance Hembring, the self-styled leader of
\nthe Free Papua Movement (OPM), to five years in prison on treason
\ncharges.<\/p>\n
The defendant was proven to have been involved in plotting
\ntreason at meetings last November and on Jan. 21 in Nimbokrang,
\nJayapura regency, and establishing an OPM secretariat there, they
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Yance also disseminated information on strategies for Papua to
\nseparate from Indonesia via a referendum, the prosecutors added.<\/p>\n
The defendant claimed that everything he had done was lawful
\nbecause the OPM was a representative of the state of West Papua
\nRepublic and did not require any agreement or permission from the
\nIndonesian government.<\/p>\n
The trial commenced on March 25 with eight witnesses
\ntestifying against and for Yance, who was arrested by Jayapura
\nPolice in January.<\/p>\n
He claimed to have been elected OPM leader during a meeting in
\n1999 by Papuan people in a refugee camp in Papua New Guinea.<\/p>",
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