Two female GAM hostages walk free at last

Two female GAM hostages walk free at last

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Lhokseumawe/Banda Aceh

Two hostages were freed in Tungkah Gajah village in East Aceh
regency on Thursday, exactly seven months after they were
kidnapped by members of separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Cut Soraya, 36, and Cut Farida, 31, were freed after a clash
between rebel cadres and soldiers from the elite infantry Raiders
at Tungkah Gajah village in East Aceh regency.

The two, both wives of Air Force officers, were airlifted to
Lhokseumawe, North Aceh, on Thursday, where they were rushed to
hospitals for medical treatment. Soraya, who was pregnant when
GAM rebels took her hostage, was seen in a wheelchair.

The Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto
claimed that the two women were rescued in a military operation.

"We freed the two women and we will continue with efforts to
release other hostages via military means," the four-star Army
general said in Jakarta.

Endriartono also claimed that three GAM fighters were killed
in the rescue operation, in which the military also confiscated
an AK-47 rifle.

But GAM commander overseeing the Peureulak area Teungku Ishak
Daud said Thursday that the two women were released by GAM based
on their policy to leave civilian captives to the military if
they were trapped in a gunfight.

"That was our decision to leave the women there (in the site)
and ordered them to run closer to the military. We would not use
them as a human shield," Ishak said.

"Since the military deployed the elite Raiders to Aceh, they
have changed their strategy by launching raids everyday. But I
can guarantee you that Fery is OK. We'll release him as soon as
the time is right. Please be patient," said Ishak, referring to
RCTI cameraman Fery Santoro.

Soraya and Farida, along with RCTI journalist Ersa Siregar and
his cameraman Fery and their driver Rachmatsyah, were captured by
GAM rebels on their way to Peureulak in East Aceh on June 29 last
year. Ersa got killed during a shootout between TNI and GAM
members last Dec. 29, while Rachmatsyah was rescued by Marine
troops in early December. The fate of Fery remains unclear.

GAM had promised to free about 100 captives in East Aceh if
the military granted a two-day ceasefire and a withdrawal of
troops from Peureulak area. They said any release must be
arranged by Red Cross representatives.

The government rejected the proposal.

Endriartono said on Thursday that negotiations with GAM rebels
had hit a snag, forcing them to continue with military operations
to release civilian hostages.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the
Indonesian Red Cross said on Wednesday they had suspended efforts
to mediate the release.

"We have to take another course of action as we no longer can
wait. I see that negotiations have failed to give positive
results and the military method has proven to be effective,"
Endriartono said before attending a Cabinet meeting.

Lt. Gen. Sudi Silalahi, the deputy coordinating minister for
political and security affairs, said that the release of two
Acehnese women has convinced the government to continue assault
operations for the release of all civilian hostages.

Asked how the government could guarantee that the assault
operations would not claim the lives of the hostages, he said
that the military would make "a very organized plan" for
releasing them.