Govt asks ICRC for help to get Fery<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta\/Makassar<\/p>\n
The government appointed on Monday the International Committee of
\nthe Red Cross (ICRC) as the facilitator in an effort to release
\ncameraman Fery Santoro, who has been held hostage by Free Aceh
\nMovement (GAM) since June last year.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Monday that the government would
\nwork closely with the ICRC to establish a mechanism to release
\nthe cameraman from RCTI television station.<\/p>\n
\"We want GAM to release him and shall seek a mechanism and
\nways to realize him as soon as possible,\" Susilo said after a
\nCabinet meeting led by President Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
He added that the government expected that the release could
\nproceed as smoothly as that for American journalist William
\nNessen last year.<\/p>\n
\"We hope that GAM will not discriminate against Fery, so we
\ncan find simple and effective ways to release him,\" Susilo added.<\/p>\n
GAM has demanded that the release of Fery and other hostages
\nshould be mediated via the ICRC.<\/p>\n
Asked whether the government had fulfilled GAM's demand for
\nthe involvement of the ICRC in the release of Fery, Susilo said,\"
\nGAM feels more comfortable with the ICRC.\"<\/p>\n
Susilo insisted that the ICRC would cooperate with the
\nIndonesian Red Cross (PMI) in facilitating the release of Fery,
\ninstead of negotiating with GAM.<\/p>\n
The government will set up a team led by secretary to the
\nCoordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Sudi
\nSilalahi to negotiate with GAM, the minister said.<\/p>\n
\"The team will consist of senior officials from the
\ngovernment, military and police. They will go to Aceh tomorrow,\"
\nSusilo said.<\/p>\n
PMI chairman Mar'ie Muhamamd claimed ICRC and PMI would
\nfacilitate the release, meaning that they were ready to pick up
\nthe hostages whenever and wherever GAM would hand them over to
\nthe humanitarian mission.<\/p>\n
\"We are not negotiating with GAM. The negotiation will be
\nconducted by the government team and GAM,\" Mar'ie said after a
\nmeeting with Susilo.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Gen. Endriartono
\nSutarto dismissed a two-day cease-fire demanded by GAM as terms
\nfor the release of the television journalist.<\/p>\n
\"We saw that Nessen was set free, so there is no reason for
\nGAM to make it more difficult for us over the release of Fery,\"
\nEndriartono said. Fery and RCTI senior reporter Ersa Siregar, along with three
\nother civilians -- their driver Rachmatsyah and two women -- were
\nintercepted by the separatist rebels on May 29.<\/p>\n
Rachmatsyah managed to escape during a shoot-out between the
\nmilitary and GAM on Dec. 12. Over two weeks later Ersa was killed
\nduring a raid by TNI soldiers on a group of rebels in remote Aleu
\nMatang Arun village, Simpang Ulim subdistrict, East Aceh.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in Makassar, South Sulawesi, several journalist
\ngroups, including the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI)
\nand the Indonesian Television Journalists Union (IJTI), awarded
\nposthumously the Peace Journalism Award to Ersa.<\/p>\n
The award was handed over on Sunday night to Ersa's family by
\nRCTI in a ceremony to commemorate the seventh day of his death.<\/p>\n
\"We see that Ersa had engaged in peace journalism through his
\nwork in conflict areas. He did not simply report the conflict,
\nbut also reported on victims of the conflict, especially
\ncivilians,\" AJI Makassar chapter chairman Muannas said on
\nMonday.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-asks-icrc-for-help-to-get-fery-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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