TROOPS GUARD COURTHOUSE; ARMOURED CAR ARRIVES WITH SUBANDRIO; SUBANDRIO AND GUARDS INTO COURTHOUSE; JUDGES ENTER; PACKED COURTHOUSE; SUBANDRIO ENTERS COURTROOM; START OF PROCEEDINGS; SUBANDRIO; JUDGES; CHARGES READ; SUBANDRIO'S LAWYER.




Initials GHB/V/AS/SGM



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Background: DR SUBANDRIO, THE FORMER INDONESIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, WENT ON TRIAL FOR HIS LIFE IN DJAKARTA ON SATURDAY (OCTOBER 1). THE COURTROOM WAS SURROUNDED BY ARMOURED CARS, ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY AND NESTS OF MACHINE GUNS. DR SUBANDRIO ARRIVED, HEAVILY GUARDED, IN ONE OF THE ARMOURED CARS.

IN COURT SUBANDRIO APPEARED PALE AND NERVOUS AND FREQUENTLY HAD TO ASK THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SPECIAL MILITARY COURT TO REPEAT QUESTIONS.

SUBANDRIO WAS ONCE PRESIDENT SUKARNO'S RIGHT HAND MAN, AND THE SECOND MOST POWERFUL MAN IN INDONESIA. UNTIL HIS COURT APPEARANCE LAST SATURDAY HE HAD BEEN IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT FOR SEVEN MONTHS. HE WAS FACING CHARGES OF TRYING TO OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT, AND OF SUBVERSION. THE PENALTY FOR THESE OFFENCES CAN BE DEATH.

INSIDE THE PACKED COURTROOM JEERS AND BOOS GREETED A DEFENCE SUBMISSION BY ONE OF SUBANDRIO'S LAWYERS THAT THE MILITARY COURT HAD NO JURISDICTION TO TRY THE FORMER MINISTRY. COUNSEL CLAIMED THE COURT HAD NOT BEEN SET UP IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONSTITUTION.

THE PROSECUTION CLAIMED THAT AS HEAD OF INDONESIA'S CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, SUBANDRIO KNEW IN ADVANCE THAT THE BANNED INDONESIAN COMMUNIST PARTY WAS PLANNING TO STAGE LAST YEAR'S ATTEMPTED COUP - AND DID NOTHING ABOUT IT. THE PROSECUTION ALSO CLAIMED THAT SUBANDRIO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR INDONESIA'S PRESENT ECONOMIC CRISIS, AND ACCUSED HIM OF HAVING DEPOSITED A QUARTER OF A MILLION AMERICAN DOLLARS (ABOUT GBP189,000 STERLING) IN SWISS AND JAPANESE BANKS.

ON THE SAME DAY IN DJAKARTA, MILITANT STUDENTS DEMONSTRATED OUTSIDE THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE CALLING FOR PRESIDENT SUKARNO TO BE PUT ON TRIAL ALONGSIDE HIS FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER.

SOME 29 WITNESSES ARE EXPECTED TO GIVE EVIDENCE AGAINST SUBANDRIO, INCLUDING FOREIGN OFFICIALS.

SUBANDRIO IS BEING TRIED BY A TRIBUNAL CONSISTING OF NINE OFFICERS FROM THE ARMY, NAVY, AIR FORCE AND POLICE. THE CHIEF JUDGE IS LIEUTENANT-COLONEL ALI SAID.