US-ASEAN Business Council applauds Newmont verdict in Indonesia;

(Washington, DC) The US-ASEAN Business Council applauds the fair and just verdict of the Manado District Court yesterday acquitting Mr. Richard Ness, President Director of PT Newmont Minahasa Raya. The Ness case has been the defining celebrity case for Indonesia and has focused the attention of the international community on questions of the nature of the judicial system in Indonesia. Newmont is, of course, a member of the US-ASEAN Business Council and Mr. Ness is well-known to us and we hold him in high regard. We thus have followed this case with growing interest and concern. We know that the verdict must offer relief to Mr. Ness and his family who have weathered three arduous years under the burden of this difficult trial.

The Council and its members strongly support the rule of law. We view the acquittal as a signal that the judicial system in Indonesia is increasingly capable of following in the positive footsteps of Indonesia?s democratic progress. The judges showed objectivity and resistance to outside pressures in their conduct of the trial and its verdict.

We hope that this case will also mark a turn away from earlier instances of addressing civil issues in criminal proceedings and establishing a higher level of probable cause before criminal cases proceed to the courts.

All Indonesians stand to benefit from this case. It is a turning point for a judicial system that will complement Indonesia?s thriving democracy.(end of release)