Army cracks down on rebels

MANOKWARI, Irian Jaya: The Armed Forces (ABRI) is still tracking down the rebels that killed two of the 11 people being held hostage in the jungle last month.

Manokwari military commander Col. Frans Willem de Wanna said on Saturday that the military operation is focusing on the followers of Kelly Kwalik and Daniel Kogoya.

Kwalik and Kogoya's men held 11 hostages from Jan. 8 through May 15 in the jungle-clad Mapnduma village. Two hostages were killed by the kidnappers when ABRI launched a rescue operation.

Frans said that the current military operation is being coordinated by Maj. Gen. Dunidja, chief of the Trikora regional military command which oversees security in Maluku and Irian Jaya, Antara reported.

He said ABRI has posted 611 soldiers in the Timika and Tembagapura subdistricts, where the plants of PT Freeport Indonesia, a giant American gold and copper company, are located.

Local indigenous people occasionally have vandalized the company's facilities to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the "share" given to them.

Frans said the rebels are no serious threat to PT Freeport's operations because their number is declining.

ABRI members in the area have been the target of human rights abuse allegations. (pan)