REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia has stated that it would not negotiate with hostage takers currently holding to ransom two of its citizens in Papua New Guinea.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Security and Legal Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan said here on Wednesday that President Joko Widodo had ordered whatever action was required to free the hostages.
"There is no need for Indonesia to negotiate with the hostage takers. I think the government's stance is clear," he said after a meeting with inter-faith leaders at the Office for Dialogue and Cooperation Among Civilizations.
He also said Indonesia is currently not lobbying with any party in connection with the case.
He said Indonesia fully supports and respects any action the Papua New Guinea government plans to take to free the hostages, adding that Papua New Guinea has been very cooperative in this case.
He said Papua New Guinea prime minister Peter O'Neill personally gave instructions to make efforts to free the Indonesian hostages.
"Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi reported that the two countries were communicating well and had conducted talks in Vanima (the Indonesian consulate in Papua New Guinea)," he said.
Luhut had earlier said that it was not the doing of the Free Papua Movement and was purely a criminal act carried out by some armed people.
Latest reports said the men involved in the hostage taking had earlier figured on the wanted list in Timika.
The incident came to light on Saturday (Sept 12) after the Indonesian consulate in Vanimo, the capital of Sandaun province in Papua New Guinea, disclosed that two Indonesian citizens, Sudirman (18) and Badar (30), were being held hostage by unknown persons in Skoutio village in Sandaun.
They were kidnapped by an armed group on Wednesday (Sept 9) while cutting wood in Skopro in the sub-district of Arso Timur, Kerom, Papua province, a three-hour walk from Skoutio.
The Papua New Guinea Defense Forces later confirmed the incident while the commander of the Papua Regional Command XVII/Cenderawasih, Major General Hinsa Siburian, said the armed group was led by JP.
Kidnappers also shot Kuba, a fellow of the two hostages, who was later treated at a hospital.
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