Ten suspected Islamic militants went on trial Tuesday in an Indonesian court for allegedly killing a Christian schoolteacher and plotting to bomb a cafe.
The defendants, including a Singaporean who allegedly met al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, face sentences of up to life in prison if convicted on charges of illegal possession of explosives, murder, plotting a terrorist attack and harboring fugitives.
The men are suspected members of the Southeast Asian terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah, which is accused of carrying out several suicide bombings against Western targets in Indonesia since 2002, including bombings on the resort island of Bali, their indictment said.
Police raids last July seized 22 explosive devices packed with bullets. They were allegedly intended to cause maximum damage at a bar frequented by non-Muslims, Kafe Bedudel, in a hilly resort town on the island of Sumatra.
The attack was apparently called off after the plotters realized it might unintentionally kill Muslims.
The men are also accused of shooting to death Indonesian teacher Dago Simamora in front of his 9-year-old son in 2007 in the south Sumatran town of Pekanbaru, their indictment said. They also attempted to kill Catholic priest in 2005, prosecutors allege.
Defendant Fajar Taslim (a.k.a. Muhamad Hasan), a 35-year-old Singaporean English teacher of Pakistani heritage, is allegedly a member of a Singaporean cell believed to have plotted to hijack a plane in Bangkok in 2002 and crash it into the international airport there.
Taslim allegedly met with al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden on several occasions, the indictment said.
Jemaah Islamiyah, formerly funded by al-Qaida, has been accused by police of carrying out five suicide bombings in Indonesia that killed more than 240 people, including the Bali strikes in 2002 and 2005.
Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, has convicted scores of Islamic militants in its fight against terrorism. Three men were executed last year for the Bali bombings.
By ALI KOTARUMALOS
Associated Press Writer
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