Rescue of hostages obstructed

Rescue of hostages obstructed

JAKARTA (JP): Recent poor weather has prevented the Rajawali
Military Command's special forces from intensifying their
searches for the three logging workers still being held hostage
by separatist rebels in the jungle of Irian Jaya.

Col. Frans Willem de Wanna, the force's leader, was quoted by
Antara as saying yesterday that the force will continue with its
efforts, and that the troops had been tracking the hostages using
sniffer dogs.

Military helicopters have also dropped pamphlets calling on
the kidnappers to release their prisoners.

The three hostages were part of a group of 16 people, all
employees of PT Kamundan Raya, who were taken captive on Aug. 14
by a group of around 50 armed rebels led by a man identified as
M. Yogi. Yogi was killed during one of the military operations
recently.

Several days after the kidnapping, two of the hostages managed
to escape, two others were released to deliver a letter from the
rebels to the authorities and nine of the remaining 12 were
rescued during a military operation last week.

The remaining three hostages have been identified as Tumadji,
19, La Arman, 27 and Maskun, 18.

The freed hostages were taken to the Tembagapura hospital. The
agency quoted a doctor as saying that some of the hostages had
wounds on their feet and hands.

Yesterday, Tom Beanal, a leader of the Amungme tribe and
leader of the Timika-based Indonesian Environmental Forum was
questioned as witness of the kidnapping, Antara reported. Beanal
denied any involvement. (31)