'No foreign intervention to free Irian hostages'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian government vowed on Wednesday to
\nuse peaceful means in its attempt to release two Belgians held
\nhostage by armed separatist rebels in Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Agum
\nGumelar said that the Indonesian government continued seeking the
\nrelease of the two Belgians by \"persuasion and dialog\".<\/p>\n
The efforts (to free the Belgians) are being done by local
\nsecurity authorities who are cooperating with religious and
\ncommunity leaders, Agum said.<\/p>\n
\"We are doing our best to make sure that no force is used to
\nsettle the problem,\" Agum told journalists.<\/p>\n
Agum convened a meeting on July 30 of senior officials under
\nhis coordination from various ministries, the Army, the National
\nCommission on Human Rights, the Attorney General's Office and
\nrepresentatives from the Irian military and police to discuss the
\nhostage crisis.<\/p>\n
The Belgians, Johan Ella Theo Vandem Eynde, 47, and Phillipe
\nLD Simon, 49, both documentary filmmakers, are being held hostage
\nat the village of Paluga, Puncak Jaya regency.<\/p>\n
The rebels have been identified as belonging to the Kelly
\nKwalik group, who had previously abducted a group of local and
\nforeign researchers in 1996.<\/p>\n
According to police in Irian Jaya, the two foreigners were
\nvisiting the province as tourists on June 5. They insisted on
\ngoing to Ilaga the next day, although the police did not permit
\nthem.<\/p>\n
Agum reiterated that the Indonesian government would reject
\nany foreign intervention in the effort to release the hostages.<\/p>\n
Jakarta also expressed the hope that the incident would not
\naffect bilateral ties between Indonesia and Belgium, the latter
\nbeing the country that currently chairs the European Union.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/no-foreign-intervention-to-free-irian-hostages-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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