Govt toughens stance against Irian Jaya rebels<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government has toughened its stance against
\nIrian Jaya rebels who are still holding 14 people, including six
\nEuropeans, hostage, saying that while it was prepared to talk
\nwith them, it would not negotiate.<\/p>\n
The rebels yesterday released two hostages who were not
\npreviously listed among those being held. They were the wife of
\nJacobus and their six-month old baby. Jacobus remained in
\ncaptivity along with 13 others, according to the military.<\/p>\n
As talks continued between rebels and the military, the
\nremaining Indonesian and foreign hostages have written letters to
\ntheir relatives to inform them that they are in good health and
\nto ask for prayers for their safety, TVRI reported.<\/p>\n
The military and the Irian Jaya provincial administration
\nstressed on separate occasions yesterday that the hostages must
\nbe released unharmed.<\/p>\n
\"There will be no negotiations with them,\" Armed Forces Chief
\nGen. Feisal Tanjung told reporters in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"We want to solve this problem in the best possible way. We
\nwill talk to them, (but) the hostages must be released unharmed.
\nAnd then, we shall see,\" he said. He declined to go further,
\nsaying he could not disclose details of the military operation.<\/p>\n
The operation is being supervised by Brig. Gen. Prabowo
\nSubianto, the chief of the Army's Special Command Force, from a
\npost established in the Irian Jaya town of Wamena. The rebels are
\nbelieved to have settled in the Mapunduma village about 160
\nkilometers away in the mountainous Jayawijaya regency.<\/p>\n
By yesterday afternoon, the military had not allowed Frank
\nMomberg, a German who was released on Monday to relay the rebels'
\nmessage, return to Mapunduma as previously agreed. One report
\nsaid he was undergoing medical treatment in Wamena.<\/p>\n
The military has already met some of the rebels' demands,
\nincluding their requests for food and medicine, and for three
\nmissionaries (not four as was first reported) to be sent to them.<\/p>\n
A request for a plane or a helicopter with a civilian pilot in
\nreturn for the release of all the hostages has been turned down.<\/p>\n
Irian Jaya Governor Jacob Pattipi meanwhile told Antara that
\nthe government will not succumb to the rebels' ransom demands.<\/p>\n
\"We will continue talking about their release, but we will
\nreject giving any kind of ransom, just as we have rejected the
\nransom demand for the release of two senior high school
\nstudents,\" Pattipi said, referring to the abduction of two
\nteenagers by separatist rebels last month.<\/p>\n
The two students are currently held by the rebels in Papua New
\nGuinea. A ransom for Rp 34 million ($14,800) had been demanded
\nfor their release.<\/p>\n
Grave mistake<\/p>\n
Giving in to the rebels' demands would be a grave mistake
\nbecause the money would be used to buy more guns and kidnapping
\nfor ransom would become fashionable, Pattipi said.<\/p>\n
The 14 hostages still held by the rebels were all members of a
\nflora and fauna expedition in the Laurentz nature reserve. The
\nfour Britons in the group are Daniel Start, William Oates,
\nAnnette van der Kolk and Anna McIvor. There are also two Dutch
\ncitizens: Mark van der Wal and Martha Klein, and eight
\nIndonesians, mostly from Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Pattipi said the rebels had mistaken the Lorentz expedition
\nfor a team from PT Freeport Indonesia, the American copper and
\ngold mining company with a huge operation in Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
He said the rebels' leader, Kelly Kwalik, had a personal
\ngrudge against Freeport because he lost out in a land conflict
\nwith the mining company in the 1970s.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, reports from Mapunduma suggested that the rebels
\ndid not have the support of the villagers, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
The village leaders, according to the news agency, have made
\nan oath that the entire village's 2,000 population would kill the
\nrebels if they slay any of the hostages.<\/p>\n
Even the rebels appear to be divided, with some wanting to
\nrelease the hostages and others insisting on continuing the
\ncrisis, according to military intelligence.<\/p>\n
Two tribal chiefs in Wamena have also condemned the kidnapping
\nof innocent people.<\/p>\n
Mapile Hubby of the Hubby Kossy tribe and Apemosi Hubby of the
\nHubby Asso tribe told Antara that abduction is not recognized in
\nIrian's tribal war practices. \"You either win or lose. But you
\ndon't abduct anybody,\" Apemosi said. (emb\/imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-toughens-stance-against-irian-jaya-rebels-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}