The wife of an American man murdered in Indonesia's troubled Papua province four years ago says she's satisfied justice has been done in the trial which ended this week. Patsy Spier lost her husband Ricky and two close friends in the 2002 attack. The highly politicised case raised questions over the possible involvement of Indonesia's military.
Presenter/Interviewer: Karon Snowdon
Speakers: Patsy Spier, who's husband Rick died in the Timika ambush at Freeport
Snowdon: The leader of the gang on trial for the attack at Movement, received a life sentence. Six accomplices received lesser terms ranging from 18 months to seven years. They were found guilty of the murders of 3 teachers and the serious wounding of 4 other people in the shooting ambush on the road to the Freeport gold and copper mine in 2002.
Accusations had swirled around the case from the outset, that the Indonesian military had ordered the attack to bolster their role in security for the mine. Or alternatively that armed Papuan separatists mistook the convoy of trucks for one belonging to the military. Patsy Spier was present at the trial and believes the right people were convicted.
Spier: Absolutely yes. On the evidence that was presented in court, absolutely.
Snowdon: Does this case leave any questions unanswered for you though?
Spier: The defence had their opportunity to bring any counter information that was with the evidence and they didn't do it, so no there aren't any other unanswered questions for these seven defendants.
Snowdon: And do you think all the questions around the case have been are answered satisfactorily? Of course it was shrouded in controversy when there were accusations made that the Indonesian military was involved either directly or indirectly. What's your view of that?
Spier: That's why I pursued this so intensely from the beginning was to find out who was responsible for this, that was the job of the investigators. And we brought it to the court and if there was information out there on anyone being involved in this ambush this was the time to bring it. Everything possible was done to the letter of the law here and the defence team and the defendants chose not to participate, that was their choice.
Snowdon: As our reporter Geoff Thompson reported from outside the court, the accused and their lawyers, including Janses Sihaloho, boycotted much of the trial stayed away when the verdicts were read out.
Sihaloho (translation): They are scapegoat victims of American and Indonesian Governments. On one side the American Government was pressured by their Congress and Senate"... "And on the other side the Indonesian Government wanted to reactivate military ties with the United States, so once they could say the perpetrators are civilians and not the Indonesian military, the military ties are back on track".
Snowdon: At first unhappy with the Indonesian investigation, Patsy Spier was instrumental in getting the FBI involved and in delaying the renewal of military links between the US and Indonesia, which eventually resumed last year.
Spier: I'm very aware of the documented atrocities the Indonesian military are accused of and that's why it was so important for me to be here to be an advocate for both the defendants and the victims of this crime to make sure that this was a transparent and credible trial.
Snowdon: And you're completely happy with that even given the military's reputation for silencing witnesses through threat and intimidation?
Spier: That was not happening in that courtroom. These were individuals who chose to open fire into five vehicles and there was no return fire at all none of us had weapons.
Snowdon: And do have a better understanding now of why this happened of why this attack took place?
Spier: We were not the intended target.
Snowdon: Who was?
Spier: According to Antonius Wamang he thought he was shooting into the Indonesian military vehicles. But then we became the inrtended targets because he continued to shoot into our vehicles for 35 minutes. What happened to us was not the fault of the Papuans or Indonesians. It was individuals who made a choice that day and Antonius Wamang is being held accountable for that.
Snowdon: Do you have a point of view of the struggle that led to this unfortunate incident, I guess is one way to put it?
Spier: I'm very aware of the Papuan struggle, yes.
Snowdon: And what's your view of it?
Spier: I hope that more information can come out of what is happening in Papua. I have no doubt that the Papuan people wanted justice to happen from this case. This has to be focussed on, this is a murder case if there was more to this story it was the responsibility of the defence team to bring it out, they chose not to and I have to believe that there was nothing else.