Authorities step up negotiations with rebels
JAKARTA (JP): Irian Jaya local authorities on Friday stepped up negotiation efforts with separatist rebels to free 16 hostages, including three Koreans, who have been held in the province's jungle-clad Asiki district in Merauke regency since Jan. 16.
"If everything goes smoothly, the two negotiators, Marius and Fitalis, will bring rebel leader Willem Onde and the local authorities to the negotiating table this (Friday) evening or early Saturday," Irian Jaya Police Operations and Control chief Sr. Comr. M. Kusnadi told The Jakarta Post by phone from Jayapura.
The meeting is slated to take place at Kilometer 56 in Asiki, or about three kilometers away from Onde's base.
The 16 hostages were seized by members of the Papua National Liberation Army (TPN Papua), a faction of the Merauke-based separatist Free Papua Organization (OPM).
Asiki district is about 12 hours drive from Merauke town.
Kusnadi said that "as long as Onde does not make any move that could endanger the safety of the hostages, the authorities will not arrest him. We respect his (Onde's) position in the negotiations and want to hear what he has to say."
In any hostage situation, the safety of the victims comes first and a "military rescue operation was the last resort so as to avoid possible casualties", he said.
Newly-appointed Trikora Military Command chief Maj. Gen. Mahidin Simbolon separately said that the authorities had yet to set a date by which the hostages must be rescued, Antara said on Friday.
"We're still engaged in negotiations. The hostages are said to be in good condition and they are being kept in a rebel camp in Merauke regency," Mahidin said.
The 16 hostages belong to PT Korindo, a South Korean timber company operating in the region and were kidnapped on Jan. 16.
The abductors have demanded US$1 million in compensation for environmental damage, the withdrawal of Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) forces from the district of Asiki, and a total halt to logging.
Negotiations with the OPM rebel leader Mathias Wenda, who has been arrested with 12 of his men by Papua New Guinea (PNG) police for illegal entry and engaging in illegal activities in exchange for the 16 hostages was unlikely.
"Wenda's men have violated the country's laws. If rebels can freely push people around, abduct people and show disregard for the law, it will set a bad precedent and every terrorist may jump on the bandwagon and follow in their footsteps," Kusnadi said.
Irian Jaya rebels threatened on Friday to execute the hostages, unless Papua New Guinea exchanged them for 13 guerrillas, including Mathias Wenda, who were arrested on Monday, the Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported.
The PNG Provincial Police Commander in Vanimo, Eugene Manguva, responded to the OPM's demands by saying that Wenda and his deputy would be subjected to the due process of law, and would not be exchanged for the OPM hostages.
Max Rumbiak
In a related development, the police and military have yet to reach a deal over "the handling" of the TPN's Col. Max Rumbiak and Capt. Birmandus, who recently returned two rifles their men seized from police officers in the remote Tour Atas district in Jayapura on Dec. 25 of last year.
Max Rumbiak and Birmandus are now still being "protected" by the Army even though the police want to take the two into custody.
Of their own volition, Rumbiak and Birmandus handed over the two rifles with ammunition in a simple ceremony at the East Coast Military District Command headquarters on Wednesday.
Rumbiak, leader of the TPN in Bonggo area, said that the Mauser and Jingle rifles were seized by Birmandus and his 12 men from Police Mobile Brigade officers who were on duty in the area on Christmas day.
After the seizure, two Brimob platoons were posted to the district, and this had apparently made Rumbiak nervous.
Rumbiak told the Indonesian Military during the negotiations that the reason he surrendered the rifles was that he didn't want innocent civilians to become victims (of police anger).
However, the rebels demanded that their existence be officially recognized, that Brimob forces be withdrawn from the East Coast and Tour Atas districts and that security guarantees be given. (edt/35/sur)