Authorities step up negotiations with rebels<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Irian Jaya local authorities on Friday stepped
\nup negotiation efforts with separatist rebels to free 16
\nhostages, including three Koreans, who have been held in the
\nprovince's jungle-clad Asiki district in Merauke regency since
\nJan. 16.<\/p>\n
\"If everything goes smoothly, the two negotiators, Marius and
\nFitalis, will bring rebel leader Willem Onde and the local
\nauthorities to the negotiating table this (Friday) evening or
\nearly Saturday,\" Irian Jaya Police Operations and Control chief
\nSr. Comr. M. Kusnadi told The Jakarta Post by phone from
\nJayapura.<\/p>\n
The meeting is slated to take place at Kilometer 56 in Asiki,
\nor about three kilometers away from Onde's base.<\/p>\n
The 16 hostages were seized by members of the Papua National
\nLiberation Army (TPN Papua), a faction of the Merauke-based
\nseparatist Free Papua Organization (OPM).<\/p>\n
Asiki district is about 12 hours drive from Merauke town.<\/p>\n
Kusnadi said that \"as long as Onde does not make any move that
\ncould endanger the safety of the hostages, the authorities will
\nnot arrest him. We respect his (Onde's) position in the
\nnegotiations and want to hear what he has to say.\"<\/p>\n
In any hostage situation, the safety of the victims comes
\nfirst and a \"military rescue operation was the last resort so as
\nto avoid possible casualties\", he said.<\/p>\n
Newly-appointed Trikora Military Command chief Maj. Gen.
\nMahidin Simbolon separately said that the authorities had yet to
\nset a date by which the hostages must be rescued, Antara said on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
\"We're still engaged in negotiations. The hostages are said to
\nbe in good condition and they are being kept in a rebel camp in
\nMerauke regency,\" Mahidin said.<\/p>\n
The 16 hostages belong to PT Korindo, a South Korean timber
\ncompany operating in the region and were kidnapped on Jan. 16.<\/p>\n
The abductors have demanded US$1 million in compensation for
\nenvironmental damage, the withdrawal of Police Mobile Brigade
\n(Brimob) forces from the district of Asiki, and a total halt to
\nlogging.<\/p>\n
Negotiations with the OPM rebel leader Mathias Wenda, who has
\nbeen arrested with 12 of his men by Papua New Guinea (PNG) police
\nfor illegal entry and engaging in illegal activities in exchange
\nfor the 16 hostages was unlikely.<\/p>\n
\"Wenda's men have violated the country's laws. If rebels can
\nfreely push people around, abduct people and show disregard for
\nthe law, it will set a bad precedent and every terrorist may jump
\non the bandwagon and follow in their footsteps,\" Kusnadi said.<\/p>\n
Irian Jaya rebels threatened on Friday to execute the
\nhostages, unless Papua New Guinea exchanged them for 13
\nguerrillas, including Mathias Wenda, who were arrested on Monday,
\nthe Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported.<\/p>\n
The PNG Provincial Police Commander in Vanimo, Eugene Manguva,
\nresponded to the OPM's demands by saying that Wenda and his
\ndeputy would be subjected to the due process of law, and would
\nnot be exchanged for the OPM hostages.<\/p>\n
Max Rumbiak<\/p>\n
In a related development, the police and military have yet to
\nreach a deal over \"the handling\" of the TPN's Col. Max Rumbiak
\nand Capt. Birmandus, who recently returned two rifles their men
\nseized from police officers in the remote Tour Atas district in
\nJayapura on Dec. 25 of last year.<\/p>\n
Max Rumbiak and Birmandus are now still being \"protected\" by
\nthe Army even though the police want to take the two into
\ncustody.<\/p>\n
Of their own volition, Rumbiak and Birmandus handed over the
\ntwo rifles with ammunition in a simple ceremony at the East Coast
\nMilitary District Command headquarters on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Rumbiak, leader of the TPN in Bonggo area, said that the
\nMauser and Jingle rifles were seized by Birmandus and his 12 men
\nfrom Police Mobile Brigade officers who were on duty in the area
\non Christmas day.<\/p>\n
After the seizure, two Brimob platoons were posted to the
\ndistrict, and this had apparently made Rumbiak nervous.<\/p>\n
Rumbiak told the Indonesian Military during the negotiations
\nthat the reason he surrendered the rifles was that he didn't want
\ninnocent civilians to become victims (of police anger).<\/p>\n
However, the rebels demanded that their existence be
\nofficially recognized, that Brimob forces be withdrawn from the
\nEast Coast and Tour Atas districts and that security guarantees
\nbe given. (edt\/35\/sur)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/authorities-step-up-negotiations-with-rebels-1447893297",
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