Jakarta/Timika – Relatives of seven Papuans on trial for the 2002 killings of two Americans and one Indonesian demanded a fair trial in Papua on Friday as the defendants continued to boycott the session in a Jakarta court.
The country's ties with the United States were strained by the incident and only improved after they agreed to collaborate in solving the case, which had initially sparked suspicions the Indonesian military was involved.
During the Friday trial at the Central Jakarta District Court, prosecutors read out charges against the defendants, demanding jail sentences for the men of between eight and 20 years. "They have intentionally and together performed the murders," prosecutor Anita Asterida said quoted by tempointeraktif.com.
Prosecutors sought 20 years' jail for Antonius Wamang for planning the murders and 15 years for Agustinus Angaibak and Yulianus Deikme for their involvement. They demanded eight years' jail for each of four other defendants – Rev. Ishak Onawame, Esau Onawame, Hardi Sugumol and Yarius Kiwak – for assisting the men.
Six of the defendants arrived at the court for the trial but refused to sit in the dock.
Speaking from the visitors section, one of the defendants, Rev. Ishak Onawame, asked the judges to consider customary law, religion and "modernity" when trying the case, saying that Papua's 253 tribes had long relied on customary law. "As evidence, we're still using customary law. In modern law, right becomes wrong, and wrong becomes right," he was quoted by Antara news agency.
Ishak accused the judges, led by Andriani Nurdin, of understanding the killing only from its "packaging", not its content. "The panel of judges should know the content first, not only the wrapping. Don't open the package first and you make a wrong decision," he said without elaborating.
The accused then left the trial before it ended because one of their number, Hardi, was sick. "We only want to stand trial if Hardi is present," Ishak said before departing under police guard.
The prosecutor showed a letter from a doctor to the panel of judges, explaining Hardi's absence. The seven defendants are protesting their trial in Jakarta and have boycotted previous sessions.
The men are accused of shooting dead three PT Freeport Indonesia employees when they ambushed their car convoy near the company's Grassberg gold and copper mine in 2002. The trial is scheduled to continue on Oct. 31 when judges will read out their verdicts.
In Timika, demonstrators staged a peaceful protest outside the district office, after marching from Rev. Ishak's house carrying posters and singing. At the building, which was tightly guarded by police, the protesters led by Ishak's son, Damaris, prayed for 30 minutes to ask the trial proceed in accordance with the law.
After the prayer, a protester, Vinsen Oniyoma, said in a speech the seven defendants were innocent. He said the trial was politically motivated and urged the men be released.
If they were not, there would be more protests to demand the closure of PT Freeport's Grassberg gold mine, he said.
"We seek truth and justice in accordance with the country's laws. We want the Papua Police, council and governor to look into this issue. Papuans are poor and have suffered enough," Damaris said.
Damaris said the arrest of the seven was unlawful and urged the government to allow his aging father to return home.
Timika district office head Arifin told the protesters their demands would be delivered to judges at the Jakarta court.