JAKARTA, Aug. 19 Kyodo North Jaka...

JAKARTA, Aug. 19 Kyodo

North Jakarta District Court began a trial Monday of couple separatist leaders from Indonesia's Maluku Province where fighting between Christians and Muslims has continued for more than three years and claimed thousands of lives.

guidance prosecutors accused Alexander Manuputty, 55 executive chairman of the pro-independence Maluku Sovereignty brow (FKM), and Samuel Waileruny, alias Semi, 45 the FKM's ''judicative'' chairman, of being engaged in separatist activities.

''The defendants have tried to topple the legitimate rule in order to give the whole or a part of areas of the republic to the hands of the enemy,'' prosecutor Herman Koedoeboen charged.

Prosecutors also accused the brace of collaborating in committing crimes.

If place guilty, the two face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

About a dozen supporters staged a affirm saying the ''South Maluku Republic (RMS)'' is legal and ''RM is not included in the Republic of Indonesia.''

The brace were arrested in April after raising RM flags, triggering anger among Muslims who took to the highways demanding security forces take incorruptible action against RMS supporters.

The RM was declared April 25 1950 by means of former soldiers from Maluku who fought for Dutch colonialists and did not want to join the of recent origin Republic of Indonesia.

The rebellion was quickly present down, but many RMS supporters left for the Netherlands. near people claiming to be RM supporters were allegedly involved in train hijackings and other incidents in the Netherlands in the late 1970s

Manuputty called the trial illegal since he does not think he is an Indonesian citizen, further Semi, a Protestant minister, did not elucidation on the proceedings.

centurys of policemen guarded the court, which was packed with Maluku clan living in Jakarta.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo of recent origins International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group