Hostage crisis ends

Hostage crisis ends

The hostage crisis in Irian Jaya has finally come to an end.
In one swift operation on Wednesday, the military set free nine
of the 11 hostages held captive by Irian Jaya separatist rebels
since Jan. 8. Two other hostages were slain by their captors. And
eight rebels were killed and two others captured alive by the
military, according to the official account. Thus, one of the
longest hostage dramas in modern Indonesia came to a conclusion.

Although we have not yet heard the full story of Wednesday's
military operation, high praise must go to the Armed Forces
(ABRI) for the way it approached the situation from the beginning
to the end. Most commendable is the fact that the military
succeeded in ending the ordeal with the least possible
casualties, especially among the hostages.

Some people might argue that the military was too slow and
that the crisis should have been resolved a long time ago. In
fact, there was a brief period when the military came under
pressure to simply send troops into the rebels' jungle hideout as
the situation dragged on. Anyone who has been closely following
the case from the beginning knows that the military has pursued
it with caution and perseverance. The lives and safety of the
hostages were the prime concern. The Army generals involved quite
rightly said that a military operation had to be considered as a
last, but viable, option.

Thus, the authorities let others do the talking with the
rebels, hoping to appeal to their sense of humanitarianism.
First, local clergymen attempted negotiations in the belief that
they still commanded influence over the rebels. When this failed,
the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) was brought
in at the request of the rebels, who hoped to further
"internationalize" their cause for a separate state in Irian
Jaya. All this took place while the authorities were supplying
the rebels with food to sustain the hostages, as well as the
rebels. The authorities did give in to some of the rebels'
demands in the hope of softening their stance, but not on matters
of principle. They rightly rejected any compromise with
terrorists.

So it was, when the ICRC announced last week that it was
abandoning its mission in Irian Jaya, the military option was
taken up. And what a swift operation it was, considering the
difficult terrain in which members of the Army's elite Special
Force Command had to work.

The successful operation in Irian Jaya comes at a time when
ABRI has been under fire these past few weeks for the way it
handled the Ujungpandang riot. With growing concern about human
rights issues, the military has had to walk a delicate tightrope
in handling cases like Ujungpandang and Irian Jaya. If it moves
too quickly, it is accused of being repressive or -- even worse
-- of gross human rights violations. If it moves too slowly, it
gets accused of not being responsive enough. In the Irian Jaya
hostage case, we believe the military rightly pursued all of the
alternatives available to it before resorting to a military
option.