Government, GAM differ on plan to free hostages<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The government claimed to have reached an agreement with the Free
\nAceh Movement (GAM) over the release of RCTI cameraman Fery
\nSantoro and two women who were taken hostage by the rebels group
\nmore than six months ago.<\/p>\n
"We have reached a deal. GAM has good intentions to release
\nthe hostages, particularly RCTI cameraman Fery Santoro," claimed
\nSudi Silalahi, the secretary to the Coordinating Minister for
\nPolitical and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.<\/p>\n
GAM had informed him that they would release 11 civilian
\nhostages, but they later reduced that to three. Sudi fell short
\nof elaborating the reason and the arrangement of the release.<\/p>\n
"They have yet to decide on how and when they would release
\nthe hostages. They still are waiting for an order from their
\nleadership in Sweden," Sudi said at his office on Tuesday,
\nreferring to GAM leader-in-exile and now Swedish citizen Hasan
\nTiro.<\/p>\n
Sudi, who is leading the government team in the negotiations
\nwith GAM over the hostages, said developments had been achieved
\nin the effort to release the hostages due to GAM's willingness to
\nfree them.<\/p>\n
The GAM commander holding the hostages, Ishak Daud, said he
\nwas ready to free all of the captives, but maintained that a two-
\nday ceasefire and withdrawal of all military troops from
\nPeureulak district were the conditions for their release.<\/p>\n
Speaking to The Jakarta Post by phone, Ishak said that the GAM
\ncommander-in-chief Muzakkir Manaf had ordered him to release the
\ncaptives to prevent more unexpected incidents.<\/p>\n
"I have talked to the ICRC (International Committee of the Red
\nCross) representatives over the conditions during a meeting on
\nJan. 9. Two days ago (Monday), I held the latest talks with Iyang
\nD. Sukandar from PMI (Indonesian Red Cross) and we have not given
\nup on our demands," Ishak said.<\/p>\n
The government has allowed the ICRC and PMI to help facilitate
\nthe transfer of the hostages from the rebels. Iyang is the PMI
\nsecretary-general.<\/p>\n
Ishak accused the military of launching an operation to search
\nfor him and the hostages over the past few days. Some villagers
\nhad been abducted, and children had been beaten and kicked during
\nquestioning, according to Ishak.<\/p>\n
There are an estimated 100 civilians, including Fery and two
\nwives of the Air Force officers, Cut Farida and her sister Cut
\nSoraya, being held hostage by GAM.<\/p>\n
Most likely due to exhaustion and illness, Soraya, who was two
\nmonths pregnant when GAM captured her on June 29 last year,
\nreportedly had a miscarriage last month.<\/p>\n
"Please, ask the military to listen to GAM's demand. I'm a
\nmother of three, I really want to see my children. I don't want
\nto be killed here," Farida told the Post by phone recently from
\nan undisclosed area in the regency.<\/p>\n
"My sister has been in mourning since she lost her baby, and
\nthen we found out that Ersa was killed. I don't think that I can
\ncry any more," Farida added.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, President of the International Federation
\nof Journalists (IFJ) Christopher Warren held a meeting with Brig.
\nGen. Alex Bambang Riatmojo, who heads the communications division
\nat Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's office.<\/p>\n
Warren said the IFJ was seeking a clear indication from the
\nIndonesia government that it would continue its efforts to
\nrelease Fery as journalists across the world were frustrated by
\nJakarta's sluggishness in dealing with the civilian hostages. The
\nindecisiveness cost the life of RCTI journalist Sory Ersa Siregar
\non Dec. 29.<\/p>\n
"I think over the past few weeks the Indonesia government has
\nbeen trying to achieve the release of Fery and we welcome it,"
\nWarren told reporters after the meeting.<\/p>\n
However, he urged both the Indonesian government and GAM to
\nstay focused on the central question on how to achieve the
\nrelease of Fery and to provide a safe environment for that to
\noccur.<\/p>\n
He said the hostage taking of Fery and Ersa had become one of
\nthe most important cases of press freedom assaults in the world
\ntoday.<\/p>\n
"It's the most significant hostage taking in the world and
\nthat's very important for all journalists in the world that the
\nattacks on journalists in Aceh are part of a global attack on
\njournalists carrying out their jobs in 2003," Warren said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-gam-differ-on-plan-to-free-hostages-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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