Hostage crisis ends<\/p>\n
The hostage crisis in Irian Jaya has finally come to an end.
\nIn one swift operation on Wednesday, the military set free nine
\nof the 11 hostages held captive by Irian Jaya separatist rebels
\nsince Jan. 8. Two other hostages were slain by their captors. And
\neight rebels were killed and two others captured alive by the
\nmilitary, according to the official account. Thus, one of the
\nlongest hostage dramas in modern Indonesia came to a conclusion.<\/p>\n
Although we have not yet heard the full story of Wednesday's
\nmilitary operation, high praise must go to the Armed Forces
\n(ABRI) for the way it approached the situation from the beginning
\nto the end. Most commendable is the fact that the military
\nsucceeded in ending the ordeal with the least possible
\ncasualties, especially among the hostages.<\/p>\n
Some people might argue that the military was too slow and
\nthat the crisis should have been resolved a long time ago. In
\nfact, there was a brief period when the military came under
\npressure to simply send troops into the rebels' jungle hideout as
\nthe situation dragged on. Anyone who has been closely following
\nthe case from the beginning knows that the military has pursued
\nit with caution and perseverance. The lives and safety of the
\nhostages were the prime concern. The Army generals involved quite
\nrightly said that a military operation had to be considered as a
\nlast, but viable, option.<\/p>\n
Thus, the authorities let others do the talking with the
\nrebels, hoping to appeal to their sense of humanitarianism.
\nFirst, local clergymen attempted negotiations in the belief that
\nthey still commanded influence over the rebels. When this failed,
\nthe International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) was brought
\nin at the request of the rebels, who hoped to further
\n\"internationalize\" their cause for a separate state in Irian
\nJaya. All this took place while the authorities were supplying
\nthe rebels with food to sustain the hostages, as well as the
\nrebels. The authorities did give in to some of the rebels'
\ndemands in the hope of softening their stance, but not on matters
\nof principle. They rightly rejected any compromise with
\nterrorists.<\/p>\n
So it was, when the ICRC announced last week that it was
\nabandoning its mission in Irian Jaya, the military option was
\ntaken up. And what a swift operation it was, considering the
\ndifficult terrain in which members of the Army's elite Special
\nForce Command had to work.<\/p>\n
The successful operation in Irian Jaya comes at a time when
\nABRI has been under fire these past few weeks for the way it
\nhandled the Ujungpandang riot. With growing concern about human
\nrights issues, the military has had to walk a delicate tightrope
\nin handling cases like Ujungpandang and Irian Jaya. If it moves
\ntoo quickly, it is accused of being repressive or -- even worse
\n-- of gross human rights violations. If it moves too slowly, it
\ngets accused of not being responsive enough. In the Irian Jaya
\nhostage case, we believe the military rightly pursued all of the
\nalternatives available to it before resorting to a military
\noption.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hostage-crisis-ends-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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