Rights group loses libel suit, fined Rp50m

The Jayapura District Court found guilty on Wednesday human rights group the Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy (Els-ham) in West Papua for tarnishing the name of the Indonesian Army over the shooting of three people, including two Americans, in Timika two years ago.

The verdict was handed down less than a week after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) found that the shooting was actually perpetrated by members of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), and not by Indonesian soldiers.

Els-ham was ordered to publicly apologize to the Indonesian Army, especially the Trikora Military Command, through national print and television media and pay a fine of Rp50 million (US$5,263).

Eleven people were also injured in the Aug. 31 shooting, when the bus they were aboard was ambushed by unidentified gunmen in an area of Timika that was being explored by gold and mining company PT Freeport Indonesia.

Els-ham reacted to the shooting by saying the Army, particularly its Special Forces (Kopassus) soldiers -- who were at that time guarding the gold and mining company -- were responsible.

However, presiding judge Ebo Maulana called the accusation baseless on Wednesday, as there had only been one witness, local resident Decky Murib.

Aloysius Renwarin, the defendants' lawyer, said his party would consider filing an appeal. (*)