British and American women go on trial in Aceh for visa violations

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

After more than two months in police custody, the trials of Briton Lesley McCulloch and American Joy Lee Sadler began on Monday at the Banda Aceh District Court. The pair are charged with visa violations, which is punishable by up to five years in jail or a maximum fine of Rp 25 million (US$2,771).

Lesley, 40, and Sadler, 47, were detained by the police in South Aceh early in September after being found taking part in activities allegedly linked to the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

During the court session on Monday, presided over by judge Arsil Marwan, prosecutor Kamaruzzaman said McCulloch violated her visa by collecting data and documents related to GAM.

He said McCulloch arrived in Aceh on Aug. 11 on a tourist visa obtained in the North Sumatra capital of Medan. The prosecutor said she them met with GAM negotiator Tengku Kamaruzzaman at the Kuala Tripa hotel in Banda Aceh.

The prosecutor said that 10 days after her arrival, McCulloch met Sadler, who had been in the province since July 28, at a supermarket in Banda Aceh.

The pair them made plans to travel to Banyak island in South Aceh for vacation. McCulloch asked an Acehnese woman identified as Fitrah to accompany them as a tour guide.

The three took public transportation to Tapaktuan in South Aceh on Sept. 5. They were then forced to cancel plans to visit Banyak island and had to remain in Tapaktuan because they could not secure a boat ride.

Three days later, according to the prosecutor, the women went to the village of Manggamat in North Kluet district, South Aceh, by bus. Six unidentified gunmen stopped them and took them to the village by motorcycle.

At the village, both McCulloch and Sadler met with Teungku Abrar Muda, GAM military chief for Lhok Tapaktuan. McCulloch also spoke with local residents and took pictures of houses that had allegedly been burned down by the military.

Sadler, a retired nurse, was asked to look at a number of sick villagers staying in shelters. The American has nursing experience with refugees in conflict zones.

In court on Monday, McCulloch, accompanied by her lawyers Johnson Panjaitan, Rufriadi and Syarifah Murlina, appeared calm and smiled at local and international journalists during the session, which lasted for about 30 minutes.

Sadler's trial began immediately afterward.

McCulloch, who is a witness for Sadler, said the pair did not plan to travel to Manggamat village.

"I have never seen gunmen back home so I was anxious and just followed their order to go to the village," she said, adding that she even did not even know the name of the village.

"Maybe I met with Abrar Muda but it is was not arranged beforehand," she said.

The trials were adjourned until Wednesday, at which time the court will hear the defendants' responses to the charges.