/* Written 10:01 AM Jan 15, 1996 by peg:ajoconnor in igc:reg.indonesia */
/* ---------- "IN/IRJA: More Reports on Hostages" ---------- */
IN/IRJA: Indonesian army seeks violence-free release of hostages
The Australian, Jan 13 & 15, 1995 - summarized Patrick Walters,
Jakarta
The Indonesian armed forces searching for 15 hostages still being
held by the OPM will try to secure their release without using
violence, according to army spokesmen.
Chief of staff of the Trikora military command, Brigadier General
Amir Syarifuddin, told reporters on Jan 13 that 'The Trikora
military commander will continue to try to release the remaining
hostages unharmed and withour using violence.'
The army has mounted a major operation to find the remaining 15
hostages - eight Indonesians & seven foreigners - who were
abducted a week ago from Mapenduma village in Jayawijaya region of
central Irian Jaya [ Mapenduma is 140 km east of the town of
Tembagapura near the site of the Freeport copper mine].
Units from the special forces command Kopassus as well as the
strategic reserve force Kostrad have been deployed. Special
forces commander, Brig General Prabowo Subianto and Kostrad
commander, Major General Tarub, have flown to the town of Wamena
in the Baliem valley of central Irian Jaya to coordinate the
seatch for the hostages.
Nine hostages were released unharmed last Friday in Jiji village,
40km east of Mapenduma. The nine, all Irianese, consisted of 4
health workers, 3 village officials and 2 school teachers.
The 15 still being held include 4 Cambridge University students,
working on a biodiversity project in the Lorentz ranges, 2 Dutch,
one German and 8 Indonesian researchers.
Press reports from the Hague quoting a Dutch Foreign Ministry
spokesman say that the German hostage, Mr Frank Momberg, had made
radio contact with a Dutch missionary stating that the hostages
were being well-treated by their captors, said by an army
spokesman to include an OPM leader, Mr Kelly Kwalik.
According to information conveyed to Dutch authorities by the
Catholic Bishop of Jayapura, Bishop Herman Munninghoff, the rebel
group has indicated that its only wish is to negotiate with local
missionaries.
ABRI's chief spokesman, Brig Gen Suwarno Adiwijoyo, said on
Saturday (13th) that the freed hostages had indicated that the OPM
kidnappers had split into several groups, making their pursuit
more difficult. But, he said, the army knew the direction in
which the rebels were heading and remained confident that the
special forces engaged in the search operation would successfully
secure the release of the hostages.
Several army spokesmen estimated the strength of the OPM band that
took the hostages at up to 200 men, although other sources said
they number far less. The OPM are believed to possess only a
handful of modern weapons. The army's search is made more
difficult by the difficult mountainous terrain, with no roads or
telephone lines between village settlements.
Jan 13th report summarized:
Brig Gen Prabowo has deployed soldiers from D-81, Kopassus's
anti-terrorist wing, to assist in the search. He is being
assisted by senior intelligence personnel from the Armed Forces
Intelligence Agency in Jakarta.
According to Moses Weror, an OPM spokesman in Papua New Guinea,
the kidnappings are part of a new campaign by the OPM to focus
greater international attention on their struggle for
independence. OPM activists say that they want recognition of
traditional land rights as well as compensation for loss of lands
and environmental damage caused by mining activity.
In recent weeks, OPM guerillas led by Kelly Kwalik, a former
school teacher and traditional land-owner of the Amungme tribe,
have been active in several areas of the Lorentz ranges including
villages to the east of Tembagapura.
Jakarta sources say this has included a flag-raising in Jila
village on Christmas Day and a temporary blocking of the
Timika-Tembagapura road earlier this week. In November, the
separatists kidnapped 2 Indonesian high school children near
Jayapura, taking them across the PNG border, where they are still
being held. The Indonesian Government has refused a $US 10,000
ransom demand and has engaged in intensive diplomatic negotiations
with Port Moresby to secure their release.
Sydney Morning Herald, Jan 13th [byline: Greg Roberts]
According to Indonesian military sources, the British and German
Governments had been pressuring Jakarta to rescue the hostages.
Two helicopters had flown 100 Kopassus troops from the Irian Jaya
capital, Jayapura, to Mapenduma. Several hundred other troops are
believed to have fanned out in a wide arc to the west of the
village, apparently to encircle and trap the guerillas. Troops
have also been stationed in villages to prevent the guerillas
obtaining supplies.
Head of the ICRC in Jakarta, Mr Henri Fournier, flew to Timika to
talk to military and missionary officials.