'No foreign intervention to free Irian hostages'

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian government vowed on Wednesday to use peaceful means in its attempt to release two Belgians held hostage by armed separatist rebels in Irian Jaya.

Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Agum Gumelar said that the Indonesian government continued seeking the release of the two Belgians by "persuasion and dialog".

The efforts (to free the Belgians) are being done by local security authorities who are cooperating with religious and community leaders, Agum said.

"We are doing our best to make sure that no force is used to settle the problem," Agum told journalists.

Agum convened a meeting on July 30 of senior officials under his coordination from various ministries, the Army, the National Commission on Human Rights, the Attorney General's Office and representatives from the Irian military and police to discuss the hostage crisis.

The Belgians, Johan Ella Theo Vandem Eynde, 47, and Phillipe LD Simon, 49, both documentary filmmakers, are being held hostage at the village of Paluga, Puncak Jaya regency.

The rebels have been identified as belonging to the Kelly Kwalik group, who had previously abducted a group of local and foreign researchers in 1996.

According to police in Irian Jaya, the two foreigners were visiting the province as tourists on June 5. They insisted on going to Ilaga the next day, although the police did not permit them.

Agum reiterated that the Indonesian government would reject any foreign intervention in the effort to release the hostages.

Jakarta also expressed the hope that the incident would not affect bilateral ties between Indonesia and Belgium, the latter being the country that currently chairs the European Union.