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.