Three more tried for UN peacekeeper's murder

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Central Jakarta District Court began on Monday the trial of three more prointegration militiamen charged with the alleged murder of a New Zealand peacekeeper in East Timor last year.

They were tried in two separate trials. The first trial, presided over by judge Muh. Daming Sunusi, presented defendant Fabianus Ulu, 20, while defendants Yohanes Timo, 33 and Gabriel Hale Noni, 36, appeared later in front of presiding judge Iskandar Tjakke.

The defendants were tried for their alleged roles in the murder of Pvt. Leonard William Manning, 24, while he was serving with the United Nations Peace Keeping Force (UNPKF) on July 24, last year.

Timo and Noni were accused of violating a Criminal Code article on premeditated murder, which carries a maximum penalty of death.

Meanwhile, Ulu was charged with homicide. If found guilty, he could face 15 years imprisonment.

On July 18, 2000, the defendants, Gabriel Moruk and Alfonsus Taek, along with Yacobus Bere, who is also being tried at the same court, were hunting for cows.

Six days later, they succeeded in capturing some cows near the border of East Nusa Tenggara and East Timor.

While herding the cows back to their hometown in Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara, a car passed by Debululik hill. Assuming that the car was filled with UN soldiers, the group ran to hide, according to the indictments.

While they were hiding, Bere saw two Caucasians, identified as witness Phillip Murray Cheater and Manning, walking toward them. Bere and the others then set up a plan to kill the soldiers using the five firearms carried by the group for hunting.

Bere opened fire on Cheater and Manning. The latter collapsed after Bere's bullet struck his head twice. Cheater returned fire, but then ran away as Bere's friends opened fire on him as well.

"Bere handed his gun to Ulu, asked for Ulu's sword and approached Manning's body. In order to make sure he was dead, Bere cut the victim's ears and slashed his throat using Ulu's sword," Prosecutor Firdaus Dewilmar told the court, adding that Bere took Manning's weapon and ammunition.

Bere's ongoing trial began in October.

Before the 1999 referendum, which led to East Timor's vote for independence, Bere and the other defendants were members of the Pro Integration Fighters (PPI), a militia group that was formed and supported by the Indonesian Military.