PMI ready to help hostages<\/p>\n
Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) urged on Wednesday all parties
\ninvolved in the prolonged conflict in Aceh to settle issues
\ninvolving civilian hostages, saying it was prepared to pick them
\nup wherever and whenever the hostages were freed.<\/p>\n
"We don't know their whereabouts, but we are ready to pick
\nthem up if the hostages are even in separate places," chairman
\nMar'ie Muhammad said during a commemoration of the organization's
\n58th anniversary here.<\/p>\n
Mar'ie said his personnel had been in close contact both with
\nthe Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Indonesian Military (TNI) to
\ndiscuss how to release the hostages.<\/p>\n
However, he admitted that the PMI still did not have direct
\naccess to the hostages.<\/p>\n
"We will not free the hostages. We just hope to facilitate
\ntheir release," he added.<\/p>\n
GAM is allegedly holding 151 civilian hostages, 80 of whom
\nwere reportedly abducted in Peurelak, East Aceh, including RCTI
\njournalist Ersa Siregar and cameraman Ferry Santoro.<\/p>\n
Besides Ersa and Ferry, GAM also took an RCTI driver
\nRahmadsyah, and two Acehnese women, one of whom is a wife of a
\nTNI officer, who happened to be in Ersa's car on June 29.<\/p>\n
Mar'ie admitted that he heard that Ersa was sick while one of
\nthe women was pregnant.<\/p>\n
"We just want to send an ambulance and give them medicine. We
\njust want to meet them," he said.<\/p>\n
He rejected the possibility of involving the International Red
\nCross on the release of the hostages, saying that the problem
\nonly concerned Indonesia.<\/p>\n
"It's an internal matter. The International Red Cross does not
\nknow the region," he said.<\/p>\n
GAM earlier demanded a three-day cease fire to free the
\nhostages, but TNI disagreed and gave only one day for the release
\nof the civilians.<\/p>\n
Besides asking for a longer cease fire, GAM reportedly asked
\nthat international agencies be involved in the crisis, a move
\nseen by the government as GAM's attempt to internationalize the
\nAceh question.<\/p>\n
In another development, marines partially foiled a smuggling
\nattempt, seizing 494 tons of sugar and 50 boxes of used clothes
\nin Kuala Langsa, East Aceh on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Aceh Martial Authority spokesman Col. Ditya Sudarsono said the
\nsugar and clothes were being sent from Penang, Malaysia, aboard
\n10 medium-sized motor boats.<\/p>\n
"Six of the boats have been seized while the remaining four
\nmanaged to escape," Ditya told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said 46 crew members were being interrogated and would be
\nhanded over to the police if they were found involved in the
\nsmuggling.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pmi-ready-to-help-hostages-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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