TIMIKA TRIAL OPENS

UNCLAS JAKARTA 008958 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS FBI PLS PASS CTD/GAO - UC MONTOOTH STATE FOR EAP/MTS,DS/DSS, DS/IP/EAP, DS/EAP/ITA, AND CA/OCS/ACS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC CASC KJUS PHUM ID SUBJECT: TIMIKA TRIAL OPENS REF: A. JAKARTA 8688 (TIMIKA DEFENSANTS REFUSE TO APPEAR) ¶B. JAKARTA 8224 (OPENING OF TIMIKA TRIAL DEFERRED) ¶C. JAKARTA 8114 (TRIAL OF TIMIKA SUSPECTS) ¶1. (SBU) Anthonious Wamang, Agustinus Anggaibak and five other co-conspirators appeared in Jakarta Central Court on July 18 to face charges in connection with the 2002 murders of two Amcits in Timika, Papua. The three-hour July 18 session was administrative in nature, devoted to identifying the suspects and reading the charges. Conoff, poloff, and POL assistant attended. The defendants' lawyers were not present. ¶2. (SBU) Wamang, charged with premeditated murder, refused to cooperate with the court. He did not respond to the judge's request that he acknowledge his identity, and did not answer the charges against him. ¶3. (SBU) Anggaibak and the other co-conspirators confirmed their identities, and nodded or said "I understand" when asked whether they understood the charges against them. The Rev. Isak Onawame, charged as a co-conspirator, made a statement objecting to being tried in Jakarta. The judge responded that he must register this objection in writing with the aid of his lawyer. The judge also noted that the defendants' lawyers were not present, and said that the seriousness of the charges obliged the court to provide legal counsel for the next session if the defendants desired this. ¶4. (SBU) Following these proceedings, the trial was adjourned until August 1. The judge commented that in order to expedite the trial, she would consider holding sessions twice weekly after that point. ¶5. (SBU) Many journalists attended the session. A protestor in the courtroom raised her voice from time to time but was apparently not deemed disruptive enough to be removed. There was a heavy police presence. PASCOE