AMCITS TESTIFY AT TIMIKA TRIAL

UNCLAS JAKARTA 011145 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS FBI PLS PASS TO CTD/ITOS I, CTD/ITOS II, GOU SECSTATE FOR EAP/MTS AND DS/DSS, DS/IP/EAP, DS/EAP/ITA, AND CA/OCS/ACS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC CASC KJUS ID SUBJECT: AMCITS TESTIFY AT TIMIKA TRIAL REF: A. JAKARTA 10998 TIMIKA TRIAL STOPPED FOR LACK OF TRANSLATOR ¶B. JAKARTA 10704 WITNESS TESTIMONY IN TIMIKA TRIAL TO BEGIN ¶C. JAKARTA 8958 TIMIKA TRIAL OPENS ¶1. (U) In an emotional session, Amcits Patsy Spier, Kenneth Balk and Steven Emma finally received the opportunity to describe in court what happened on August 31, 2002, when a group of gunmen ambushed the vehicles they were riding in Timika, Papua, killing Amcits Ricky Spier and Ed Burgon. Ms. Spier spoke first, describing the attack that killed her husband and left her with dozens of pieces of shrapnel that remain in her body to this day. Mr. Balk related how both he and his 6-year old daughter were injured in the attack and suffered psychological trauma as a result. Both witnesses presented medical records documenting the injuries they sustained to the court. Steve Emma was still giving testimony at the time of writing (1815 local). ¶2. (U) The first two witnesses were cross-examined by defense lawyers, who questioned them closely on the location of the incident and the direction of the shooting. After each cross-examination, the judges asked the defendants if they had any comments. They responded as a group that they could not comment as they claimed they were not present at the time of the attack. ¶3. (U) A strong police presence was visible in the courtroom, which remained crowded but calm until late in the evening. The process was slowed by the need to provide dual translation, from English into Bahasa Indonesia and then into Amungme, the native language of the defendants. A last-minute effort to find a Bahasa Indonesia/Amungme interpreter proved successful, and according to prosecutors both interpreters should be available for the next session, tentatively scheduled for September 12. PASCOE