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Viewing cable 06JAKARTA3298, SUPREME COURT ORDERS EX-MILITIA LEADER TO JAIL FOR

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06JAKARTA3298 2006-03-15 03:23 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Jakarta
VZCZCXRO8861
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #3298/01 0740323
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 150323Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1053
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 9198
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON 2939
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0698
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/DOD WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 7330
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0415
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 003298 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/IET, AND DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KJUS KAWC TT ID
SUBJECT: SUPREME COURT ORDERS EX-MILITIA LEADER TO JAIL FOR 
EAST TIMOR CRIMES 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
1.  (SBU) Indonesia's Supreme Court on March 13 upheld the 
conviction of former East Timor militia leader Eurico 
Guterres and reinstated his ten-year prison sentence. 
Prosecutors said they would immediately jail Guterres, who 
has remained free pending his appeal.  The politically 
well-connected Guterres plans to file for a judicial review. 
Also on March 13, the Supreme Court confirmed the not guilty 
verdict in the case of Brig. General Noer Mois, effectively 
ending the possibility of an Indonesian military or police 
officer being held responsible out of the Ad Hoc Tribunal 
process.  Guterres would become the only Indonesian to remain 
convicted for the widespread human rights violations in East 
Timor in 1999.  End Summary. 
 
Appeal Denied, 10 Years Jail Reinstated 
--------------------------------------- 
 
2.  (U) Indonesia's Supreme Court on March 13 denied the 
appeal of former East Timor militia leader Eurico Barros 
Gomes Guterres, originally convicted in 2002 of crimes 
against humanity by Indonesia's Ad Hoc Tribunal.  The Supreme 
Court also reinstated the ten-year prison sentence, which an 
appeals court had reduced by half.  Four of five justices 
found Guterres guilty of failing to stop his militia from 
attacking East Timorese civilians taking refuge in the home 
of former Governor Manuel Carrascalao in April 1999, an 
attack which left a dozen or more people dead.  The 
dissenting judge reportedly explained that Guterres should 
not be found guilty because others also were responsible for 
the attack. 
 
3.  (U) Prosecutors stated they would act to imprison 
Guterres as soon as they received the official copy of the 
court's decision.  Guterres, who has remained free for three 
and one half years pending his appeal, was in West Timor on 
March 13 and told reporters he would file a request for 
judicial review of his case.  (Note:  Under normal 
circumstances, the filing of a judicial review would not 
prevent incarceration.  End Note.)  On March 14, he traveled 
to the area of Atambua, West Timor, and explained to his 
supporters and former militia members that he would not 
resist arrest.  Guterres reportedly expressed surprise that 
his appeal was denied, while on the same day the Supreme 
Court upheld the not guilty verdict of the former area 
military commander Brig. General Noer Muis (below). 
 
Notorious Militia Leader 
------------------------ 
 
4.  (SBU) Guterres, an Indonesian citizen, is an ethnic East 
Timorese who led the notorious pro-integration Aitarak 
militia and later the militia grouping Gardapaksi.  According 
to many accounts, he coordinated closely with and received 
support from senior military and police commanders, and 
carried out joint operations with Indonesian security forces. 
 In addition to the April 1999 incident, Guterres' militia 
members conducted a number of lethal attacks on 
pro-independence figures and civilians between May and 
September 1999. 
 
Political Opportunist 
--------------------- 
 
5.  (SBU) After 1999, Guterres built up political connections 
with the Golkar party and the Indonesian Democratic Party for 
Struggle (PDI-P).  Despite his conviction for crimes against 
humanity, former President and PDI-P chair Megawati appointed 
Guterres chief of a PDI-P youth wing, Banteng Muda Indonesia. 
 Reports, which Guterres denied, connected him with efforts 
to set up militias in Papua and Aceh.  He later joined the 
National Mandate Party (PAN) and his anointment as head of 
PAN's West Timor branch was pending at the time of the 
Supreme Court's decision.  One national PAN leader told the 
press they would speak with Guterres before deciding whether 
to confirm Guterres' party leadership position.  Another PAN 
figure said the party would assist Guterres in this legal 
struggle. 
 
JAKARTA 00003298  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
Last Military Case Concluded 
---------------------------- 
 
6.  (SBU) Guterres would become the only Indonesian to remain 
convicted in Indonesia for the 1999 widespread human rights 
violations in East Timor and to serve jail time for his 
crimes.  Also on March 13, the Supreme Court denied the 
prosecutors' appeal in the case of former regional military 
commander Brig. General Noer Muis, upholding the not guilty 
ruling of an appeals court.  Indonesia's Ad Hoc Tribunal 
tried 18 suspects in a process viewed as flawed by 
international observers.  Of the six persons initially 
convicted, including four senior military and police 
officers, all but Guterres have had their convictions 
overturned on appeal. 
PASCOE