JAKARTA,The leader of a secessionist group in Indonesia has been sentenced to life in prison for waving a separatist flag in front of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the nation’s president. The incident was a major embarrassment to the president as he was attending a government ceremony in Maluku in June last year.

A court spokesman said the leader of the separatist group, Johan Teterisa, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday in the provincial capital of Ambon after being found guilty of treason. The harshness of the punishment reflects Indonesia’s sensitivity to separatist movements.
At least 19 others were convicted of treason and sentenced to between 10 and 20 years for their involvement in the protest, court officials said. Aides described Yudhoyono as being “livid” over the flag-waving incident.