BBC World News, Thursday, 30 January, 2003, 07:40 GMT
Indonesian Muslim militia head cleared
[Photo: Jafar Umar Thalib led the now-disbanded Laskar Jihad]
A court in Indonesia has cleared the leader of a former Islamic militia of inciting
violence between Muslims and Christians.
The cleric, Jafar Umar Thalib, was accused of the offence while he led the Laskar
Jihad militia on the religiously-divided Moluccan Islands.
The court in Jakarta also found him not guilty of inciting hatred against the Indonesian
Government and defaming President Megawati Sukarnoputri.
Correspondents say the trial was seen as a test of the Indonesian Government's
resolve to combat Islamic extremism and to treat both the Islamic and Christian
communities equally.
The acquittal came two days after two Christian separatist leaders were sentenced to
three years' imprisonment for subversion during the Moluccan Island violence, in which
thousands of people have been killed.
The court found the two guilty of inciting separatism rather than violence.
Supporters
"Allahu Akbar!" (God is great) shouted Jafar Umar Thalib's supporters as judges at
East Jakarta court found the former Laskar Jihad chief not guilty on three charges.
The cleric was arrested on 4 May following a speech he delivered in the eastern
Moluccan Islands last April which prosecutors said was aimed at inciting hatred
against the government.
In the speech he reportedly implored Muslims to "to prepare our bombs, and ready
our guns".
Two days later, 13 people were massacred in the Christian village of Soya.
Relief
"Thank God," Jafar Umar Thalib told reporters after the verdict.
"I hope this is an attempt by the judge to uphold freedom of speech in defence of the
state and its people."
But commenting on the sentencing of Alex Manuputty, the Christian leader who was
sentenced to three years in jail on Tuesday for promoting separatism, the cleric said
his sentence was not long enough.
"I question why you would sentence him to only three years on charges of subversion
while the charge itself carries a minimum sentence of 15 years. He should have been
jailed for 15 years."
The militia ran by Jafar Umar Thalib, Laskar Jihad, sent thousands of fighters to the
Moluccas from May 2000 in order to defend Muslims fighting Christians there.
More than 5,000 people have been killed in sectarian fighting in the Moluccas since
January 1999.
Muslims and Christians signed a peace deal last February but sporadic violence still
occurs.
Laskar Jihad was disbanded in October, shortly after the bombings on Bali which have
been widely blamed on Islamic militants.
No official reason was given for the disbandment, but there was speculation that it
was an attempt to avoid a prison sentence for Jafar Umar Thalib.
© BBC
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