ICRC meets with Irian rebel leaders

ICRC meets with Irian rebel leaders

JAKARTA (JP): Hopes were dashed again yesterday after a mediator of the military-led rescue operation met with leaders of the separatist rebels in Irian Jaya but failed to secure the release of any of the 13 people they have been holding captive for seven weeks.

Henri Fournier of the Jakarta mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) met with Daniel Yudas Kogoya and another person believed to be Kelly Kwalik. The latter is a leader of the Free Papua Movement who at one stage of the hostage drama took over control from Kogoya, separated, and has now apparently rejoined the group.

The Antara news agency said that Fournier, who acted as the mediator of the campaign led by the Armed Forces (ABRI), returned emptyhanded from the three-hour meeting held at the Gese Lama village, Jayawijaya regency.

Reports on Saturday said that the separatist rebels have hinted that they might release the hostages yesterday. Kogoya had reportedly said in the first meeting with the ICRC that he was going to give "a present" to the rescue team when they met next (yesterday).

Kogoya's statement was interpreted by the team as a promise of an imminent release of at least one or two hostages, the news agency reported.

According to Lt. Col. Maulud Hidayat, the spokesman of the Irian Jaya Trikora Regional Military Command, Daniel Kogoya said that the rebels have yet to secure the approval of their "highest leader" in their headquarter in Papua New Guinea before the hostages could be released. There was no immediate information as to who this person might be.

Maulud was quoted by Antara as saying that after long talks, Daniel said "the decision to release the hostages could not be made out in the fields".

"I have no authority to release them," Kogoya reportedly said.

The rescue team handed over food and medication and received four rolls of film believed to contain pictures of the hostages in return.

Kogoya also asked the rescue team to maintain contact until any "final decisions" on the fate of the hostages are taken. The agency, however, also reported that the rebels have asked that the defense attaches of both Britain and Holland be involved in further talks.

Fournier's request to meet with the hostages was denied by Kogoya; he could therefore not gain any information regarding the condition of the hostages, who are reportedly getting weaker because of fatigue, exposure and maybe malaria.

The rebels abducted the 13 -- four Britons, two Dutch citizens and seven Indonesians -- on Jan. 8 in Mapunduma village. They were members of a fauna and flora expedition to the Lorentz natural reserve in Jayawijaya.

Hopes were first raised last month when Christian missionaries, acting as mediators, met with OPM leaders and secured an apparent agreement to release some hostages.

However, the rebels then fled into the jungle and broke off contact with the outside world for more than two weeks. (swe)