Separatist rebels take five negotiators hostage
Separatist rebels take five negotiators hostage
JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): Separatist rebels in remote Irian
Jaya seized on Thursday five negotiators seeking the release of
11 kidnapped plywood workers, an officer said on Friday.
"We have received news that the 16 hostages are basically
healthy, but they need more rice," Merauke Police chief Adj. Sr.
Comr. Mulyono said by phone from the remote negotiation site in
Asiki district, a jungle area near the border of Papua New
Guinea.
Mulyono, Assistant for Intelligence to the Trikora Military
Commander, Col. Armin Tone, and Merauke district deputy chief
Benyamin Simatupang, accompanied by two platoons of Police Mobile
Brigade (Brimob), were negotiating the release of the 16 hostages
on Friday, but as of 6:30 p.m. local time no deal had been
reached.
Asiki district is about 12 hours drive from Merauke, a town
located about 900 kilometers south of the capital, Jayapura.
Five people, including two Korean nationals, were kidnapped on
Thursday while traveling to a remote jungle area to negotiate
with the rebels.
The rebels seized 11 plywood workers, including a South
Korean, on Tuesday.
The kidnapped workers are employees of PT Korindo, a South
Korean timber company.
A military source advised that the hostages have been moved
further to the border of Papua New Guinea.
"The kidnappers took the hostages on foot for about three days
walking through the jungle," the source said.
The kidnappers are reportedly members of the Papua Liberation
National Army (TPN Papua) led by Willem Onde, an armed faction of
the Merauke-based Free Papua Organization (OPM).
An OPM post is located close to PT Korindo's compound in
Merauke.
As of Friday evening no contact had been made with Willem
Onde.
The kidnappers have demanded US$1 million in compensation for
environmental damage, the withdrawal of Brimob forces from the
district of Asiki, and a total halt to logging.
Irian Jaya Governor JP. Salossa asserted earlier on Thursday
that the authorities will use persuasive approaches and dialogs
with the rebels to free the hostages.
"We're doing our best to negotiate and avoid violence. We keep
on trying and we haven't set any deadline. Repressive security
operation to rescue the hostages will be our last option,"
Salossa said.
Unconfirmed reports said that Willem Onde has a force of 500
men operating near the border of Papua New Guinea and the
southern boundary of the Jayawijaya mountain range.
In the past, OPM groups have committed abductions to draw
international attention to their cause.
In the most notorious case in January 1996, separatist rebels
abducted 26 people, including seven Europeans, in the Mapenduma
hinterland for four months. They released 15 hostages and nine
others were rescued by soldiers.
Two Indonesians were murdered by the rebels during the rescue
operation. (34/edt)