New team negotiates with Irian Jaya kidnappers

New team negotiates with Irian Jaya kidnappers

JAKARTA (JP): A team of local authorities and community
leaders are continuing negotiations with rebels currently holding
16 hostages, including three Koreans, in the remote jungle of
Irian Jaya, an officer said on Sunday.

"A team of negotiators led by Rev. Meilus has gone deep into
the jungle of eastern Asiki district this (Sunday) morning but so
far no agreement has been made," Irian Jaya's Police Operation
and Control Chief Sr. Comr. Kusnadi told The Jakarta Post from
Jayapura.

The officer said that negotiators had made contact with the
abductors, but gave no further details.

Meanwhile, Merauke Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Mulyono, along
with Assistant for Intelligence of the Trikora Military command
Col. Armin Tone, Merauke district deputy Benyamin Simatupang,
Army Special Force (Kopassus) Tribuana unit chief Lt. Col. Nus
RHN, and two platoons of the Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob),
were monitoring the situation in Asiki district, a jungle area
near the border of neighboring Papua New Guinea.

"We hope that we can use persuasive measures, as the leader of
the abductors has known some of the officers here, especially
Kopassus members, for quite some time," he said.

The abductors are reportedly members of the Papua Liberation
National Army (TPN Papua), a faction of the Merauke-based
separatist Free Papua Organization (OPM) led by Willem Onde.

Asiki district is about 12 hours drive from the town of
Merauke, which is located 900 kilometers south of the province's
capital Jayapura.

"Based on our experience of hostage situations in Irian Jaya,
such as Mapenduma, it could take months to resolve the situation.
We do not want to endanger the hostages and we will maintain
close contact and monitoring," the officer said.

The hostages are employed by PT Korindo, a South Korean timber
company operating in the region.

The abductors have been demanding US$1 million in compensation
for environmental damage, the withdrawal of Brimob forces from
the district of Asiki, and a total halt to logging.

In a separate development, reports indicate that Brig. Gen. I
Made Mangku Pastika, currently chief of East Nusa Tenggara
Police, will be appointed as the new Irian Jaya Police chief in a
ceremony on Jan. 24.

The Irian Jaya Police chief, Insp. Gen. FX Soemardi, died in
plane crash, along with Trikora military commander Maj. Gen.
Tonny A. Rompis, on Jan. 8 this year.

Meanwhile, ailing Papua separatist leader Theys Hiyo Eluay was
flown by civilian plane from Jayapura to Jakarta at 8:30 a.m.
(local time) to be further treated for his cardiovascular and
prostate problems at Cikini Hospital in Central Jakarta. (edt)