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.