ICRC optimistic of meeting with hostages<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Officials of the International Red Cross
\nyesterday emerged from yet another meeting with leaders of the
\nseparatist rebels holding 13 hostages in Irian Jaya optimistic
\nthat they would soon be able to meet the captives.<\/p>\n
Henri Fournier, chief of the Jakarta mission of the
\nInternational Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said through a
\nspokeswoman that another meeting took place yesterday and there
\nwas an indication the rebels would let the officials meet the
\nhostages later.<\/p>\n
\"The plan to meet the rebels was fulfilled to the satisfaction
\nof the ICRC delegates, \" Sri Wahyu Endah told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Fournier also met the rebels on Sunday but failed to meet with
\nthe hostages, four Britons, two Dutch citizens and seven
\nIndonesians. They are the remainder of the first group of 26
\nhostages abducted on Jan. 8 in Mapunduma village.<\/p>\n
Endah declined to give more details.<\/p>\n
Fournier is in Wamena, some 4,000 km east of Jakarta, the
\nheadquarters of the Indonesian-led rescue operation -- to
\ncoordinate his ICRC team.<\/p>\n
There are varying accounts as to the actual number of the
\nremaining hostages. The Antara news agency put it at 13, while
\nReuters quoted unnamed rescue sources as saying they knew only of
\n12. The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear.<\/p>\n
Those still held include Britons Daniel Start, Anna McIvor,
\nBill Oates and Annette van der Kolk, and Dutch citizens Mark van
\nder Wal, with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and Martha
\nKlein, who is five months pregnant and reportedly in poor health.<\/p>\n
Antara quoted sources at the Armed Forces, who are leading the
\nrescue operation, as saying that the rebels had indicated that
\nany decision to free the hostages depended on an unidentified
\nleader based in neighboring Papua New Guinea.<\/p>\n
The agency, however, said that the leader could very well be
\nMathias Wenda alias Mosea Weror who claimed responsibility for
\nthe hostage-taking.<\/p>\n
The Red Cross officials have reportedly urged the rebels to
\nname their \"highest leader\", but to no avail.<\/p>\n
\"If the name of that leader is revealed, then we can expect
\nthe Papua New Guinean government to help ABRI secure the release
\nof the hostages,\" the agency quoted the unnamed military sources.<\/p>\n
Despite the repeated failures to meet with the hostages, the
\nmilitary is optimistic the drama will soon end. \"There are
\nglimmers of hope. It's just that we cannot be sure about the
\nexact time,\" the sources said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in Jakarta, chief of the Armed Forces general
\naffairs Lt. Gen. Soeyono said that the military wanted the
\nunconditional release of the hostages.<\/p>\n
\"Principally, the Armed Forces want the rebels to
\nunconditionally release the hostages soon. We have not made any
\nconsideration on giving a pardon,\" he was quoted by Antara as
\nsaying.<\/p>\n
He said the military would take stern action if the rebels
\n\"acted brutally\" and harmed the hostages. (swe)<\/p>",
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