The Jakarta Post, December 20, 2003
Separatists face up to 15 years in jail
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Ambon
Prosecutors charged on Friday nine separatist in Maluku province with treason for
allegedly agitating and encouraging people to establish a South Maluku emergency
authority.
Speaking before the Ambon District Court, the prosecutors demanded that the nine
defendants from the secessionist South Maluku Republic (RMS) movement be
sentenced to between 13 and 15 years in prison.
Jhon Rea, who led the group, should be imprisoned for 15 years imprisonment, Antara
reported prosecutors as saying.
The eight others were identified as Pieter Rea, who is the RMS regional leader
overseeing the capital city of Ambon, Philipus Nurlatu, Yoseph Lesnussa, Elisa
Mathenahoruw, Sandi Lolupua, Johanes Latuhihin, Jefry Soulisa and Reinhard
Nanlohy.
Chief prosecutor A. Sopahelewakan was quoted as saying that the defendants had
held more than 10 "secret meetings" since January last year to discuss the
establishment of an RMS emergency authority.
During the meetings, the group sought a way to revive Maluku sovereignty.
Based on their indictment, the group also held correspondence with a man named
Gerritz Wattimena, who lives in Omega Plm in the Netherlands, to inform him about
the situation in Maluku when the province was placed under a state of civilian
emergency.
"The defendants' activities are categorized as a betrayal of the Unitary Republic of
Indonesia. Indeed, they could potentially create political and security instability
across the country," Sopahelewakan told the trial, presided over by judge Kharlison
Harianja.
"One thing that we must emphasize is that the province is still prone to sectarian
conflict following the prolonged clashes between two communities here. The fragile
peace should not be affected by such activities like those committed by the
defendants," the prosecutor added.
"The defendants have continued claiming themselves to be RMS nationals instead of
Indonesian citizens. They have also failed to respect the court during the trial. And
we, the prosecutors, consider it an incriminating factor," Sopahelewakan said.
Maluku and North Maluku provinces were hit by sectarian conflict for about three
years from 1999. Some 6,000 people were killed in the fighting. Peace between the
two warring factions was largely restored after the government brokered a peace
accord in 2002.
During the trial, prosecutors also presented some evidence, including guidelines on
the organization's structure, 13 copies of an independence proposal written in Dutch,
and an RMS provisional constitution.
Rea, along with his followers, was arrested by police in April 2003, when they held a
secret meeting at a church.
The group, nevertheless, earlier denied being connected with another secessionist
group, the Maluku Sovereignty Front (FKM) led by Alex Manuputty, who was
sentenced by the North Jakarta Court to three years in prison on Jan. 28, 2003, for
plotting rebellion.
An appeal court later increased his sentence to four years in jail. Manuputty, however,
remains free after he appealed the verdict to the Supreme Court.
He is now reportedly in exile in the United States.
Vice President Hamzah Haz has said that the government would pursue a diplomatic
approach to the United States to extradite Manuputty, who is believed to be seeking
support for his Maluku independence campaign.
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