Jakarta – An Indonesian general indicted for war crimes in East Timor has been appointed to lead a probe into the shooting deaths of two American schoolteachers at a gold mine in Papua province two years ago, news reports said Saturday.

Police Brig. Gen. Timbul Silaen will lead a 25-member team that will follow up on an FBI investigation into the ambush on Aug. 31, 2002, in which two Americans and an Indonesian died, according to The Jakarta Post newspaper.

Eleven other people – including eight Americans – were injured in the ambush. The victims worked at the Timika international school located near a huge copper and gold mine operated by New Orleans-based Freeport McMoRan Co.

Despite initial reports that soldiers guarding the mine were responsible, the subsequent FBI investigation named a Papuan man identified as Anthonius Wamang as the shooter.

But Indonesian human rights groups have accused US Attorney-General John Ashcroft of withholding evidence of the military's involvement to enable the administration of US President George W. Bush to pursue its policy of improving ties with the world's largest Muslim nation.

Ashcroft claimed that Wamang belonged to the Free Papua Movement, a small, mainly Christian separatist group which he labeled a terrorist organization.

The Bush administration is pressing Congress to repeal legislation banning cooperation with the Indonesian military until the Timika case is resolved.

Silaen, now a top police commander in Papua, was last year indicted by UN prosecutors in East Timor for alleged crimes against humanity during that territory's bloody break with Indonesia after a UN-organized independence referendum in 1999.

At the time, Silaen was in charge of the Indonesian police in the territory. He and other top Indonesian officers were charged with perpetrating a systematic attack against the civilian population, which included murder, forced disappearance, persecution and deportation. At least 1,500 East Timorese perished during and after the plebiscite.

But Indonesian authorities have refused to extradite any of the indicted individuals to East Timor. A hastily convened Jakarta tribunal cleared Silaen and 15 other senior military and police officers of any wrongdoing.

Several of the men – including Silaen – have since received promotions and been posted to other regions seeking independence from Jakarta.