TNI agrees to help free Fery Santoro

TNI agrees to help free Fery Santoro

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta

The Indonesian Military (TNI) said it had agreed to ensure the
safe transfer of around 100 civilians, including RCTI cameraman
Fery Santoro, from Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels who have been
holding them hostage for almost a year.

TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said on Monday the
military troops in Lhokseumawe, North Aceh, had been ordered to
hold their fire ahead of the planned release on Thursday.

"This morning, TNI Commander (Gen. Endriartono Sutarto) and I
discussed the security measures needed for the release. I made a
telephone call to Aceh Military Operations Commander (Brig. Gen.
George Toisutta) to supervise and mollify his troops prior to May
13.

"There should be no military offensive and we guarantee a
peaceful atmosphere during the process," Sjafrie said after a
meeting with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
secretary-general Aiden White, Independent Journalists Alliance
(AJI) chairman Eddy Suprapto and secretary-general Nezar Patria.

Sjafrie said he would accompany Endriartono on his visit to
Aceh on Tuesday (today) for a routine inspection, and, if
possible, they would help arrange the release.

The closed-door meeting was held at the TNI headquarters in
response to an earlier statement from the GAM commander in the
Peureulak area, Ishak Daud, who said the rebels would release the
civilian captives, including Fery, near a plantation belonging to
PT Bumi Flora in Pidie Rayeuk district, East Aceh.

Ishak said GAM would not attack the TNI from May 10 through
May 14 to ensure the release and asked the TNI to do the same.

GAM had previously demanded a three-day cease-fire for the
release of the civilian hostages last year, but it was rejected
by the military brass. One of the captives, RCTI journalist Sory
Ersa Siregar, was caught in a crossfire and killed in December
during a clash between TNI troops and the rebels.

"We are very concerned about the captives because it's all
about TNI's credibility. We experienced the same thing in
providing security when American journalist William Nessen was
moved out of a GAM base in North Aceh. It means, if GAM is
serious they can just do it," Sjafrie said.

When asked by White whether TNI would debrief Fery about his
movements while in captivity, Sjafrie replied: "Of course there
is a procedure that these civilians are subject to, including a
medical examination. But afterwards, they are free."

"The most important thing is we have to let Fery, as well as
other civilian captives, reunite with their families."

Fery, Ersa, their driver and two wives of Air Force officers
acting as Acehnese translators, were abducted by GAM on June 29
last year on their way to a refugee camp in Langsa.

The driver escaped weeks before Ersa's death, while the two
women were freed in February.

Sjafrie said the TNI was aware of rumors that Fery assisted
GAM as a radio operator. But White replied: "We can only discuss
and clarify such rumors after his release...after he feels free
to do and say anything."

White asserted that the release was considered a crucial
moment for GAM to prove whether they respected human life and
would promote democratization and press freedom.

"We have to continue pressing GAM to release the civilians. If
they fail to release them due to certain circumstances, we will
press them again," said White, who once negotiated with GAM
leaders-in-exile in Sweden over the release of the journalists.