VZCZCXRO3204
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #0795 1120949
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 210949Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8769
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 2372
RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI PRIORITY 0952
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON PRIORITY 2987
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1857
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 2566
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 2616
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 0728
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000795 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS 
NSC FOR E.PHU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV ID TT
SUBJECT: TIMOR-LESTE -- INDONESIA ARRESTS THREE FOR ATTACK 
ON RAMOS-HORTA 
 
REF: JAKARTA 784 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  Indonesian authorities arrested three 
fugitive Timor-Leste soldiers in connection with the February 
11 attack on Timor-Leste President Ramos-Horta and PM Gusmao. 
 Ramos-Horta also clarified his earlier comments and 
explained that he was not accusing the Indonesian Government 
of any involvement in the attack.  He did, however, 
reportedly accuse Indonesia's MetroTV of assisting rebel 
leader Alfredo Reinado.  END SUMMARY. 
 
THREE FUGITIVES ARRESTED 
 
¶2. (SBU) President Yudhoyono announced late Friday, April 18, 
that the Indonesian National Police (INP) had arrested three 
fugitive members of the Timor-Leste military (FDTL) in 
connection with the February 11 attacks on President Jose 
Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.  Yudhoyono said 
Indonesian authorities had apprehended the three Timor-Leste 
citizens--Egidio Lay Carvalho, Jose Gomes and Ismail Moniz 
Soares--following a request by Timorese prosecutors. 
Indonesian officials are now reportedly waiting for a formal 
extradition request from Dili in order to transfer the men to 
Timor-Leste authorities. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The three men were allegedly affiliated with FDTL 
rebel leader Alfredo Reinado.  (Note: Ramos-Horta's 
bodyguards killed Reinado during the attack on the 
President.)  The men now in Indonesian custody reportedly 
fled across the border into Indonesia sometime after the 
attack. 
 
CLARIFICATION OF EARLIER COMMENTS 
 
¶4. (SBU) On Sunday, April 20, Ramos-Horta explained that he 
had not accused the Indonesian government of involvement in 
the attack.  Instead, he had asserted that "individuals in 
Indonesia," who might be either Timorese or Indonesian 
citizens, were connected with the attack.  Ramos-Horta 
criticized the media for misrepresenting his remarks.  As 
reported by the press, Ramos-Horta's remarks provoked a 
strong reaction from Indonesian officials and 
parliamentarians  last week (reftel). 
 
PRESS ANGLE? 
 
¶5. (SBU) At some point--the media does not make this entirely 
clear--Ramos-Horta also charged that private Indonesian 
television station MetroTV had assisted Reinado in connection 
with a May 2007 interview.  Ramos-Horta accused the station 
of paying for Reinado's travel to Jakarta and facilitating 
his entry into Indonesia with fraudulent travel documents. 
Desi Anwar, one of the MetroTV reporters accused of aiding 
Reinado in this manner, denied having helped Reinado enter 
Indonesia.  Anwar told acting Information Officer she was 
bemused that anyone would think she had "Mata Hari-like 
capabilities."  Also defending MetroTV, Presidential 
Spokesman Dino Djalal pointed out journalists were free to 
interview whom they chose and stated there was no evidence 
MetroTV had done anything illegal. 
 
HUME