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)