Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
92JAKARTA15886
1992-12-30 06:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:  

"XANANA" GUSMAO TO BE TRIED AS CRIMINAL

Tags:  PHUM PINS PGOV UN PO ID 
pdf how-to read a cable
O 300645Z DEC 92
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0445
INFO SECDEF WASHDC
ASEAN COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY LISBON
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
USMISSION GENEVA
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
AMCONSUL MEDAN
AMCONSUL SURABAYA
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 15886 


E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PINS PGOV UN PO ID
SUBJECT: "XANANA" GUSMAO TO BE TRIED AS CRIMINAL

REFS: A. JAKARTA 15387, B. JAKARTA 15051, C. JAKARTA
14905, D. JAKARTA 14491


C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 15886


E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PINS PGOV UN PO ID
SUBJECT: "XANANA" GUSMAO TO BE TRIED AS CRIMINAL

REFS: A. JAKARTA 15387, B. JAKARTA 15051, C. JAKARTA
14905, D. JAKARTA 14491



1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.

:SUMMARY
: --------------


2. INDONESIAN NATIONAL POLICE CHIEF KUNARTO TOLD
REPORTERS DEC. 28 THAT CAPTURED EAST TIMOR GUERRILLA
LEADER JOSE "XANANA" GUSMAO WOULD BE TRIED ON A NUMBER OF
CRIMINAL CHARGES; HE DID NOT MENTION ANY CHARGES UNDER
THE ANTI-SUBVERSION LAW. KUNARTO SAID THE TRIAL WOULD
PROBABLY BE HELD IN DILI AND WOULD BEGIN IN JANUARY IF
THE POLICE INVESTIGATION IS CONCLUDED ON SCHEDULE. A
HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER WITH THE INDONESIAN BAR ASSOCIATION
(IKADIN) TOLD EMBOFF GUSMAO'S WIFE HAD DESIGNATED THE
INDONESIAN LEGAL AID INSTITUTE (LBH) TO DEFEND HER
HUSBAND, BUT LBH HAD SO FAR BEEN UNABLE TO INFORM GU"MAO
OF THIS. THE LAWYER FEELS KUNARTO'S ANNOUNCEMENT
PROBABLY REFLECTS THE OFFICIAL GOI DETERMINATION
REGARDING CHARGES; WHEN HE VISITED POLICE HEADQUARTERS
TWO WEEKS AGO, A DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT TO CHARGE
GUSMAO WITH SUBVERSION WAS STILL PENDING. END SUMMARY.

POLICE CHIEF ANNOUNCES CHARGES
: --------------


3. CHIEF OF THE INDONESIAN NATIONAL POLICE (POLRI) GEN.
(POL.) KUNARTO TOLD REPORTERS DEC. 28 THAT CAPTURED
FRETILIN LEADER GUSMAO WOULD BE CHARGED UNDER THE
INDONESIAN CRIMINAL CODE (KUHP). ACCORDING TO PRESS
REPORTS, KUNARTO SAID THE PRINCIPAL CHARGE AGAINST GUSMAO
WOULD BE FILED UNDER CHAPTER 106 OF KUHP (CONSPIRACY TO
PLACE ALL OR PART OF THE NATIONAL TERRITORY UNDER THE
CONTROL OF A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT OR TO SEPARATE PART OF
THE NATIONAL TERRITORY),WHICH REPORTEDLY CARRIES A
MAXIMUM PENALTY OF LIFE IN PRISON. SUBSIDIARY CHARGES
WILL REPORTEDLY BE FILED UNDER CHAPTER 108 (ARMED
OPPOSITION TO INDONESIAN AUTHORITY) AND CHAPTER 110 OF
KUHP, AND UNDER EMERGENCY LAW NO. 12 OF 1951 (ILLEGAL
STOCKPILING OF FIREARMS). PRESS REPORTS DID NOT MENTION
ANY REFERENCE BY KUNARTO TO CHARGES UNDER THE
ANTI-SUBVERSION LAW OF 1963.


4. KUNARTO ALSO WAS QUOTED AS SAYING GUSMAO WOULD
"PROBABLY" BE TRIED IN DILI, CONFIRMING EARLIER GOI
STATEMENTS. PROVIDED THE ONGOING POLICE INVESTIGATION OF
GUSMAO IS CONCLUDED ON SCHEDULE, KUNARTO SAID, THE CASE
SHOULD BE TRANSFERRED TO PROSECUTORS SHORTLY, AND THE
TRIAL WOULD BEGIN IN JANUARY. ASKED ABOUT PERMISSION TO
INTERVIEW GUSMAO, KUNARTO TOLD JOURNALISTS NOT JUST
ANYONE COULD MEET WITH THE FRETILIN LEADER, ADDING THERE
WERE ALSO PROBLEMS WITH LANGUAGE.

:HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYERS SEEK ACCESS
: --------------


5. FRANS HENDRA WINARTA, A PROMINENT HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER
WHO WAS PART OF THE IKADIN-LBH TEAM WHICH DEFENDED
TIMORESE TRIED FOR INVOLVEMENT IN THE DEMONSTRATION WHICH
PRECEDED THE KILLINGS IN DILI ON NOV. 12, 1991, AND A
SUBSEQUENT PROTEST IN JAKARTA, TOLD EMBOFF A FAX FROM
GUSMAO'S WIFE IN AUSTRALIA HAD BEEN RECEIVED APPOINTING
LBH TO DEFEND HER HUSBAND. ON THE BASIS OF THIS FAX,
WINARTA AND LAWYERS FROM LBH VISITED POLRI HEADQUARTERS
TWO WEEKS AGO IN A VAIN ATTEMPT TO GAIN ACCESS TO
GUSMAO. THEY WERE TOLD GUSMAO HAD ALREADY APPOINTED
ANOTHER ATTORNEY TO DEFEND HIM. (PRESS REPORTS HAVE
MENTIONED SOEDJONO, A JAKARTA LAWYER, AS THE COUNSEL
PURPORTEDLY CHOSEN BY GUSMAO.) ACCORDING TO WINARTA,
HOWEVER, LBH HAS RELIABLY CONFIRMED THAT GUSMAO HAS NOT
YET APPOINTED DEFENSE COUNSEL.


6. WINARTA SAID HE WAS TOLD AT THE TIME OF HIS VISIT TO
POLRI HEADQUARTERS THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD NOT YET
DECIDED WHETHER OR NOT TO CHARGE GUSMAO WITH SUBVERSION.
HE FEELS KUNARTO'S STATEMENT AS REPORTED IN THE PRESS
PROBABLY REFLECTS THE GOI'S DECISION ON THE MATTER.
WINARTA HAS HEARD GUSMAO WILL ALSO BE CHARGED WITH MURDER
(CHAPTER 338 OF KUHP). HE DESCRIBED THE APPARENT
DECISION NOT TO FILE SUBVERSION CHARGES AS "FUNNY,"
CONSIDERING A NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS IN DEMONSTRATIONS
ALLEGEDLY "MASTERMINDED" BY GUSMAO WERE TRIED AND
CONVICTED OF SUBVERSION EARLIER THIS YEAR. HE SPECULATED
THE GOI'S DECISION WAS THE PRODUCT OF NEGOTIATIONS
BETWEEN THE GOI AND ANOTHER PARTY OR PARTIES, POSSIBLY
INCLUDING GUSMAO HIMSELF. WINARTA SAID HE HOPES TO
REPRESENT GUSMAO IN HIS TRIAL BUT ADMITS LANGUAGE COULD
POSE DIFFICULTIES, SINCE HE SPEAKS NEITHER PORTUGUESE NOR
TETUN.

:COMMENT
: --------------


7. KUNARTO'S ENUMERATION OF CHARGES AGAINST GUSMAO
APPEARS TO CONFIRM REPORTS THE FRETILIN LEADER WOULD BE
TRIED ONLY ON CRIMINAL CHARGES (REF C). WINARTA'S AND
LBH'S DIFFICULTIES IN OBTAINING ACCESS TO GUSMAO, AND THE
APPARENT EFFORT TO DESIGNATE A DEFENSE COUNSEL FROM
OUTSIDE THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMUNITY, ARE REMINISCENT OF
THE EARLY STAGES OF LAST SPRING'S SUBVERSION TRIALS IN
DILI. WINARTA HAS PROMISED TO KEEP US UP-TO-DATE ON
DEVELOPMENTS ON THIS FRONT, AND WE WILL CHECK IN WITH LBH
WHEN ITS MEMBERS RETURN FROM VACATION ON JAN. 4. END
COMMENT.


BARRY