VZCZCXRO6202
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #1145 2540016
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 110016Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9733
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IMMEDIATE
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY IMMEDIATE 3213
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RUEAWJB/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS JAKARTA 011145 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FBI PLS PASS TO CTD/ITOS I, CTD/ITOS II, GOU 
SECSTATE FOR EAP/MTS AND DS/DSS, DS/IP/EAP, DS/EAP/ITA, AND 
CA/OCS/ACS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC CASC KJUS ID
SUBJECT: AMCITS TESTIFY AT TIMIKA TRIAL 
 
REF: A. JAKARTA 10998 TIMIKA TRIAL STOPPED FOR LACK OF 
        TRANSLATOR 
     ¶B. JAKARTA 10704 WITNESS TESTIMONY IN TIMIKA TRIAL 
        TO BEGIN 
     ¶C. JAKARTA 8958 TIMIKA TRIAL OPENS 
 
¶1. (U) In an emotional session, Amcits Patsy Spier, Kenneth 
Balk and Steven Emma finally received the opportunity to 
describe in court what happened on August 31, 2002, when a 
group of gunmen ambushed the vehicles they were riding in 
Timika, Papua, killing Amcits Ricky Spier and Ed Burgon.  Ms. 
Spier spoke first, describing the attack that killed her 
husband and left her with dozens of pieces of shrapnel that 
remain in her body to this day. Mr. Balk related how both he 
and his 6-year old daughter were injured in the attack and 
suffered psychological trauma as a result.  Both witnesses 
presented medical records documenting the injuries they 
sustained to the court. Steve Emma was still giving testimony 
at the time of writing (1815 local). 
 
¶2. (U) The first two witnesses were cross-examined by defense 
lawyers, who questioned them closely on the location of the 
incident and the direction of the shooting.  After each 
cross-examination, the judges asked the defendants if they 
had any comments.  They responded as a group that they could 
not comment as they claimed they were not present at the time 
of the attack. 
 
¶3. (U) A strong police presence was visible in the courtroom, 
which remained crowded but calm until late in the evening. 
The process was slowed by the need to provide dual 
translation, from English into Bahasa Indonesia and then into 
Amungme, the native language of the defendants.  A 
last-minute effort to find a Bahasa Indonesia/Amungme 
interpreter proved successful, and according to prosecutors 
both interpreters should be available for the next session, 
tentatively scheduled for September 12. 
PASCOE