The Jakarta Post, July 03, 2002
Soldier gets 3.5 years over Ambon bombings
Oktovianus Pinontoan, The Jakarta Post, Ambon
A court martial held in the troubled Maluku province's capital city of Ambon sentenced
a soldier to three years and six months in jail on Tuesday for his involvement in a
series of bombings in the eastern Indonesian city before last February's peace deal
was signed.
Chief Pvt. Kanafi, a member of the security task force in Ambon, was also
dishonorably discharged from the Indonesian Military (TNI) for his role in provoking
trouble in Maluku.
Military prosecutors had demanded the death penalty or at least a life sentence for
the defendant.
The court martial's judges found Kanafi guilty of involvement in at least nine bombing
incidents across Maluku since he was assigned to the strife-torn province.
The latest bomb blast, in which he played a key role, damaged the Maluku governor's
office on Nov. 30, 2001. No casualties were reported.
Six days earlier, Kanafi also hurled a bomb in a street adjacent to a Maluku
Protestant church, the court added.
The court martial, however, failed to reveal the motive behind Kanafi's involvement in
the bombings nor the masterminds. Neither was it able to reveal whether the
defendant was obeying his commander's orders or working on his own behalf.
The judges, presided over by Col. Supiandi, simply said Kanafi was trying to disrupt
the security situation in Ambon.
It was the first court verdict of any kind handed down against trouble-makers in
Maluku since fighting first broke out between Muslims and Christians in January 1999.
The religious conflict raged on until recently with some 6,000 people killed in three
years.
Leaders from both warring factions signed a peace pact on Feb. 12, 2002, to end the
clashes. Yet, it seems to have been ineffective as sporadic attacks and bombings are
still terrorizing local people.
Kanafi was arrested along with Aras Pantororeng, a civilian resident living in the
Christian area of Batumerah, by local security forces who stopped their Yamaha RX
King motorcycle.
The security personnel seized a five-kilogram bomb from Kanafi at the time of the
arrest.
But, Aras, who was expected to be a key witness against Kanafi, later escaped from
detention in an Ambon police station and his whereabouts remains unknown.
Hearing the verdict being read out by the presiding judge, Kanafi appeared to cry.
Responding to the sentence, Kanafi's lawyer, Second Lt. Ery Subianto, said his client
would decide in one week whether to file an appeal against the verdict.
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