By Ryan L. Maness
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

JAKARTA, Indonesia — The trials of Abu Dujana and Zarkasih, both leaders of the South East Asian terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah, were sentenced today to fifteen years in jail.  While both men were at various times leaders of the terrorist organization, the two were tried for different crimes and sentenced by different judges in the South Jakarta District Court.  In handing down sentence, the presideing Judges also officially declared that Jemaah Islamiah to be a terrorist organization.

Abu Dujana, who was thought to have masterminded many of Jemaah Islamiah’s terrorist attacks, and Zarkasih, the so-called “amir of Jemaah Islamiah”, were both arrested last summer on charges of harboring terrorists and weapons charges.  At the time, the arrest was hailed as a victory for the Indonesia’s fight against Islamic Militants.

Abu Dujana, who has denied having any relationship to Jemaah Islamiah, was convicted by  Judge Wahjono for attacks against Christians on the island of Sulawesi.  From 1999 until 2001, Dujana was responsible for many attacks and bombings against Christian civilians.  Since that time, Dujana has condemned the style of attacks, claiming that they are against his stated goal of establishing Islamic law throughout Indonesia.  The Judge Wahjono was cognizant of Dujana’s statement and renunciation of terrorism when he handed down sentencing and stated that he hopes that Dujana will help to reform other jailed terrorists.

Zarkasih was thought to have had more control over the rank and file members of Jemaah Islamiah.  He was also thought to have received training in Pakistan in the late 1980s and was associated with Muslim rebels in the Philippines in 1998.

Jemaah Islamiah has been involved in a 2002 bombing in Bali, a 2003 bombing of a Jakarta hotel, the 2004 attack on the Australian embassy in Jakarta and three suicide bombings in Bali in 2005.  However, while once a feared organization in Southern Asia, Ken Conboy, a terrorism analyst, told Voice of America that Jemaah Islamiah is no longer a threat to Indonesia’s secular Muslim government.  “They seem to have no real capability to attract and maintain … substantial numbers of new members.”

For more information, please see:
BBC — Key Indonesian militants jailed — 21 April 2008

Radio New Zealand News — Indonesia jails militant leaders for 15 years — 21 April 2008

The Associated Press — Terror leaders in Indonesia get prison terms — 21 April 2008

United Press International — Top Indonesia terrorist leaders sentenced — 21 April 2008

By Hayley Campbell
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Three East Timorese soldiers were arrested Friday in Indonesia for having a possible hand in the assassination attempts on East Timor’s President and Prime Minister in February. The arrests follow allegations made Thursday that the shooting may have involved “Indonesian elements.”

On February 11, rebel soldiers attacked President Horta during his morning walk, shooting him twice in the back. The Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmao, was also attacked but escaped unharmed. The President returned on Thursday after a two month recovery in Darwin, Australia.

Although details surrounding the Indonesian arrests remain unclear, Indonesia’s President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said the arrested suspects entered Indonesia illegally after the February attacks. The three men, Egidio Lay Carvalho, Jose Gomes, and Ismail Moniz Soares, are ex-soldiers of the East Timorese army.
Photo courtesy of BBC News
President Horta told journalists Thursday that while the shooters were thought to be hiding in East Timor, he believed “Indonesian elements” may be involved. President Yudhoyono was surprised at the allegations, stating that the two countries had been collaborating secretly to catch the suspects.

“I had instructed my ministers and police chiefs not to disclose that information to the public in order to give an opportunity to the Indonesian police to find these suspects,” President Yudhoyono said.

While President Horta has been careful with his accusations, President Yudhoyono has warned that any allegations implicating the state of Indonesia itself, maybe hurt relations between the two countries.

The arrested men are among 600 soldiers turned rebels after their jobs were lost for protesting alleged discrimination during a 2006 strike. The army became divided along factional lines, and disputes erupted into violence which killed 37 and drove 150,000 from their homes.

To listen to President Horta describe the shooting, click here

For more information, please see:
ABC News — Indonesia arrests 3 over E Timor attacks — 19 April 2008

Reuters — Indonesia says arrests 3 for attacks on E.Timor leaders — 18 April 2008

BBC News — Indonesia arrests E Timor rebels — 18 April 2008

Radio Netherlands Worldwide — Indonesia arrests 3 East Timorese soldiers — 18 April 2008

After receiving a comment from Committeeman Whiteside, the Impunity Watch Staff has learned that we made factual errors in our article “Gains and Losses for People’s Charter and NCBBF” (found here).

– First, we reported that the gentleman in question was named Dennis Whitehead, instead of his real name Desmond Whiteside.
– Two, we misreported one of Mr. Whiteside’s comments by referring to the “cost factor”, rather than the cost benefit factor. 

We apologize for these errors.

By Hayley Campbell
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

DILI, East Timor — After an assassination attempt nearly claimed his life, East Timor President, Jose Ramos-Horta, will return from a two month recovery this Thursday. As President Horta’s own wounds continue to heal, he has emerged from February’s attack eager to mend the pervading violence and poverty that have characterized East Timor’s past.

On February 11, rebel ex-soldiers shot President Horta at his home in the capital city of Dili. President Horta recalls seeing the gunman and turning quickly to avoid gunfire. The would-be assassins used “dum dum” bullets, which the Geneva Conventions banned because they expand in the body sending an explosion of shrapnel. Although the gunman aimed for his chest, President Horta was hit twice in the process of turning to take cover. The sudden movement may have saved his life. One bullet hit him in the back, a piece of shrapnel coming within 2 mm of his spinal cord.

After a two month recovery in Darwin, Australia, President Horta feels he has been given a second chance to repair his country’s civil strife. “Our country will need to get to the bottom of these events to heal from them,” President Horta said. The President is returning to his home, despite advice from security officials to move to a better protected location.

Last month, President Horta named Marcelo Caetano as his shooter. Caetano is one of 600 former military members turned rebels who lost their jobs during a 2006 strike. As the army became divided along factional lines, violence resulted in the death of 37 and drove 150,000 people from their homes. East Timor had to rely on foreign troops to help restore peace. In addition, around 2,500 foreign peace keepers remained to aid the country’s recovery.

Security forces tracked down and killed two rebels, including rebel leader, Alfredo Reinado. But the search continues for many rebels that remain in hiding.

The overwhelming support from citizens has humbled the President, who was admittedly unaware of the positive influence he has had on the country. Newspapers reported on Monday that the streets display banners proclaiming, “Mr President, Timor prays and waits for you.” His home was “cleansed of evil spirts” and nearby trees were whitewashed in anticipation of his arrival.

President Horta, a Nobel Peace prize winner, now plans to concentrate his efforts on solving East Timor’s poverty and creating a “zone of peace where all forms of violence are abandoned.”

When asked whether the President was concerned for his future safety, he replied, “No, God is on my side, the people of Timor are on my side.”

 

For more information, please see:

CNN.com — Commentary: How would-be assassin’s bullets changed me — 14 April 2008

The Sydney Morning Herald — Home exorcised as Ramos-Horta prepares to return — 14 April 2008

ABC News — Rock-star farewell expected for Ramos-Horta — 14 April 2008

Reuters, Asia — East Timor President Horta to return home Thursday — 13 April 2008

International Herald Tribune — East Timor president plans to return home this week after surviving assassination attempt — 13 April 2008

ABC News — Ramos Horta to return to E Timor — 13 April 2008

Macau Daily Times — East Timor president to return home next week — 13 April 2008

By Ryan L. Maness
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji — Fiji’s interim government has remained resolute that social change must precede the reinstatement of the electoral process, but this position has been sharply criticized by both foreign and domestic voices.  The interim government, in turn, has been sharply critical towards those organizations which it feels are hindering Fijian progress.  At the moment, among the top targets of the interim government’s anger are media outlets which have printed unflattering portrayals of the interim government and its People’s Charter.  The two most recent examples of the tension between the media and the interim government are the media’s leaking of salary of the National Council for Building a Better Fiji (NCBBF) secretariat director, John Samy, and a text-message conducted by the Fiji Times which found that a majority of Fijians do not support the People’s Charter.

Samy’s Salary Revealed

Fiji Village is reporting that they have received information that the five overseas consultants commissioned to work on the People’s Charter are being paid between $90,000 and $190,000.  While the Charter commission has yet to confirm these numbers, all information points the Head of the Technical Support Secretariat, John Samy, working for a salary of $12,000 per month.  This number alone has caused a stir. 

National Federation Party General Secretary, Pramod Rae, called the revelation outrageous.  He has called it a grave injustice for Fijian tax payers to be footing this bill during a time of economic downturn in the country. 

The interim government responded to the allegations sharply, saying that it was inappropriate for the media to report on the issue of salaries at all.   They point out that the report is “illegal” and that media outlets should compare these salaries to the money lost from the decades of corrupt government spending.  They have also pointed out the fact that for ten months last year Samy worked for free and that even his current fees are only a third of what he is normally paid for his international consultancy work. 

The editor of the Fiji Times responded that taxpayers of Fiji have a right to know how much their civil servants are being paid.  He insisted that if the interim government is professing the virtue transparent government, they should live up to their promise.

Fiji Times Poll Show Mixed Support for People’s Charter

A Fiji Times Poll that ran from 8 A.M. Friday until 6 P.M. Sunday found that 46.2 percent of respondents (761 in total) “disagreed with the plan to set up a People’s Charter”, while 45.8 percent of respondents (755 in total) said that they did agree with the plan to set up the People’s Charter.  7.9 percent of respondents were on the fence.  The Fiji Times did not report a margin of error for their poll.  The poll itself was conducted by text messages, with prepaid members subscribers to the Vodaphone and Inkk services. 

According to the Fiji Times, those people who expressed their dissatisfaction with the People’s Charter said that they the Charter was a waste of money better spent on health, education, roads and sea travel.  They also expressed their feeling that only government officials would be able to clearly express their feelings about how Fiji should move forward. 

Those in favor of the Charter, statistically also younger members of the population, said that they were optimistic that the Charter could reduce the price of goods, will be good for the environment and will reduce crime. 

The interim government has criticized the newspaper for running the poll, accusing them of using the poll as a money making endeavor.  The interim government points to the fact that, in order to participate in the poll, respondents had to pay 50 cents, half of which was kept by the newspaper.  A spokesman for the Council said that the poll “mark[s] a new low from the media of Fiji.”  The interim government said that a poll is perfectly acceptable, only that the timing was suspect. 

The paper responds that it conducted the poll in such a way as to maximize accessibility.  While admitting that they did make some money off the poll, $411.50, the poll was never designed to be a source of revenue.  Pointing to a projected $6000 price tag for advertisements of the poll, the paper said, “It’s clear this was not a money-making exercise for us, nor was it ever going to be. Instead, it was a service to our readers a chance to express an opinion on an issue of major importance to the country.”

For more information, please see:
Fiji Times — Majority says no to Charter, but ‘ayes’ close behind — 15 April 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Fiji interim administration’s charter receives thumbs down in text poll — 14 April 2008

Fiji Times — NCBBF man receives $12, 000 a month — 15 April 2008

Fiji Village — Salaries outrageous – Rae — 14 April 2008

Fiji Village — Calls made to Reveal NCBBF Consultants’ Salaries — 14 April 2008

Fiji Village — I’ve sacrificed a lot: Samy — 14 April 2008

Fiji Village — NCBBF yet to confirm consultants’ pay — 14 April 2008