RI thanks PNG for helping free hostages

RI thanks PNG for helping free hostages

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian government thanked Port Moresby
yesterday for helping to release two Indonesian high school
students who were abducted by Irian Jaya separatist rebels and
taken across the border to Papua New Guinea.

The hostages, Marwiyah Abubakar and Basyir Kadir, were held
hostage from Nov. 22 to Jan. 29 in the Papua New Guinea province
of Sandaun near the two countries' border.

"The Indonesian government would like to express its gratitude
and highest respect to the Papua New Guinea government which has
handed over the two hostages to the Indonesian Consulate in
Vanimo on Jan. 31," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a
press statement.

Marwiyah and Kadir were transferred to the consulate by Peien
Aloitch, vice governor of Sandaun. Also present were negotiators
from Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

They were handed over on the same day to the Irian Jaya deputy
governor Basyir Bachtiar in an emotional ceremony at the Sentani
Airport, Jayapura.

Bachtiar appealed to Port Moresby to help free more
Indonesians still abducted by separatist rebels under Mathias
Wenda and based in the Papua New Guinea territory.

Many Indonesians are still held hostage in Papua New Guinea
near the two countries' common border and that their fate is
unknown, Antara reported.

The rebels have been waging low-level warfare since the vast
but thinly-populated Irian Jaya became part of Indonesia in 1963.
Currently, Indonesian authorities are still seeking to free 13
Indonesians and foreign nationals held hostage in the Baliem
Valley.

Bachtiar said Indonesian and Papua New Guinea officials'
cooperation on the two high school students' release underlines
the strengthening ties between the two neighboring countries.

"I'm sure the cooperation will further improve relations," he
said. (pan)