JAKARTA, Aug. 15 Kyodo The trial ...

JAKARTA, Aug. 15 Kyodo

The trial of a prominent Islamic militant leader accused of inciting hatred and violence in Indonesia's troubl city of Ambon uncloseed Thursday in a Jakarta court.

Djafar Umar Thalib, commander of the radical Lasykar Jihad form into groups entered the courtroom in the East Jakarta District Court amid cries of ''God is great!'' from several of his followers.

State prosecutor Slamet Riyanto accused Djafar of inciting hatred among 2500 family in Ambon's Al Fatah mahometan temple when he gave a language there on April 26.

''In effrontery of the public, the defendant intimateed feelings of hatred and humiliation,'' Riyanto said. ''The defendant also provok nation to carry out violence and to break the law.''

The prosecutor said that during the meeting, the defendant defamed Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri and her factor Hamzah Haz.

If set up guilty, Djafar could face a maximum 10 year jail sentence

Achmad Midan, Djafar's lawyer, said that the charge against his client is ''baseless.''

Djafar was arrested in May forward suspicion of violating the criminal digest by provoking people to manner of life violent acts.

Djafar's arrest sparked violent affirms by Muslims in Ambon, in which couple people were killed and 16 others, including Muslims and Christians, were injured.

His followers have many times staged protests in front of the national police headquarters demanding his release.

Ambon is the provincial capital of the Malukus, where conflict between Christians and Muslims has dragged forward for three years.

According to official estimates, more than 6000 Christians and Muslims have been killed in widespread violence and centurys of thousands of folks have been forced to run away for safety.

Indonesia is subject to pressure from neighboring countries and the United States to deal ''more seriously'' with Islamic militants as part of the global war forward terrorism.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo recents International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group