Irian Jaya rebels free one hostage<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Irian Jaya separatist rebels released yesterday
\none of their 12 hostages, who have been held captive since Jan.
\n8, a military official said.<\/p>\n
\"The rebels released Abraham Wainggai at 10 a.m. local time
\ntoday,\" chief spokesman of the Trikora Military Command, Lt. Col.
\nMaulud Hidayat, told The Jakarta Post by phone from the Irian
\nJaya capital of Jayapura.<\/p>\n
The Trikora military command oversees security in Maluku and
\nIrian Jaya.<\/p>\n
Abraham is a civil servant at the Jayapura office of the
\nMinistry of Forestry. He was a member of an expedition team to
\nstudy conservation measures in the Lorentz natural reserve close
\nto the Baliem valley where the drama in taking place.<\/p>\n
The Free Papua Movement (OPM) rebels took 25 people hostage on
\nJan. 8 and have freed 14 since then. Abraham is a relative of
\nThomas Wapay Wainggai, an OPM activists who died in a Jakarta
\nprison last week.<\/p>\n
Maulud, however, declined to confirm details of the release,
\nsaying that he was yet to receive complete information.<\/p>\n
Bishop Herman Munninghoff of the Jayapura diocese, who has
\nplayed mediator in the effort to release the hostages, said that
\nAbraham's release might have a connection with Wangai's death.<\/p>\n
A relative of Thomas Wainggai told the Post yesterday that
\nAbraham was a cousin of Thomas.<\/p>\n
The rebels freed nine Indonesian hostages on Jan. 12 and later
\na researcher from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Frank
\nMomberg, a German citizen, on Jan. 15.<\/p>\n
They released three more hostages: Yacobus Wandibai, a guide
\nto the expedition team, Yacobus' wife and his six-month old baby,
\non the following week.<\/p>\n
The rebels are still holding 11 hostages, including five
\nIndonesians; four Britons: Daniel Start, William Oates, Annette
\nvan der Kolk and Anna MacIvor; and two Dutch citizens, Mark van
\nder Wal and Martha Klein, who is five-months pregnant. (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/irian-jaya-rebels-free-one-hostage-1447893297",
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