GAM frees 18 hostages

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has freed the 18 people it abducted late last month after they proved to be civilians and not involved in any military operations in the troubled province.

The kidnap victims were freed on Thursday through the mediation of Tengku H. Imam Suja, a noted Islamic leader in East Aceh, and another person, Aliamin.

They were immediately taken to Medan, the capital of neighboring North Sumatra province.

A reliable source, who declined to reveal his identity, told The Jakarta Post on Friday that the hostages were released after members of their families paid unspecified amounts of ransom money to the GAM leadership.

Ishak Daud, GAM spokesman for Peurelak, East Aceh, told the Post that the freed kidnap victims were nine athletes and nine Exxon Mobil employees.

He also said that the 18 civilians were abducted by GAM's intelligence unit.

"That is why (the kidnapping) has not been publicized," Daud said.

The nine Exxon Mobil employees were seized last Sunday from a vessel heading for an oil exploration field off North Aceh, while the nine athletes were abducted on their way to Singkil, East Aceh, after participating in the Aceh Games at the provincial capital, Banda Aceh.

GAM had earlier denied the allegations.

The release came just one day after President Megawati Soekarnoputri instructed Aceh Military Commander Maj. Gen. Djali Yusuf to crush the separatist movement, which has been fighting for independence since the 1970s.