Kidnappers to free Belgians on Aug. 1
Kidnappers to free Belgians on Aug. 1
JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): Irianese kidnappers have agreed to
release on Aug. 1 two Belgian filmmakers they had taken hostage
for almost two months, once their demands are met, a church
negotiator said on Saturday.
Rev. Benny Giay told reporters in Jayapura, the capital of the
easternmost province of Irian Jaya, that the abductors had
demanded a meeting with the Belgian ambassador to Indonesia.
"The TPNP leaders want to meet directly with the Belgian
Ambassador to Indonesia and wish to talk to him," the reverend
said, referring to the National Liberation Army for Free Papua, a
splinter group of Irian separatist rebels.
If a deal is reached, the ambassador will witness the release,
which is expected to be widely covered by the international
media, according to Benny.
The second condition is that the hostages -- Johan Van den
Eynde, 47, and Philippe M. Simon, 49 -- are treated as special
envoys of Papuan students to facilitate the Papuan independence
struggle.
"If the two demands are met, the two hostages will at once be
released," Benny added.
Benny quoted the rebels that the reason behind the hostage-
taking was to obtain attention from the international community,
particularly member countries of the European Union.
"They want to show the international community that Papuans
are now demanding their basic right to be free in their own
land," Benny said.
"The kidnappers also ask the Indonesian Military to refrain
from taking measures against people around the area during and
after the release."
Benny and Catholic priest Theo van den Broek called a media
conference shortly after they had arrived from a meeting with the
kidnappers in the remote village of Gome in the Ilaga district of
Puncak Jaya regency.
The church officials met with leaders of the TPNP for the
Puncak Jaya area, the brothers Titus and Penny Murif, on Thursday
and Friday.
Benny and van den Broek have been mediating between the Irian
Jaya authorities and the rebels since the Belgian filmmakers were
taken hostage late in May. (35/emf)