National

TNI Refuses GAM Condition Regarding Release of RCTI Cameraman
06 Januari 2004

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Indonesian Military (TNI) has refused a two-day cease-fire offered by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) as its main condition before releasing Ferry Santoro, a cameraman from the RCTI television station.



“We disagree with this condition because the GAM might continue in such a way,” TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto told reporters at the State Secretary building, Jakarta, on Monday afternoon (5/1).



Sutarto considered the condition offered by the GAM as complicated and compared it with the case of US journalist William Nessen, who was kidnapped by the GAM.



According to Sutarto, the GAM imposed an easy condition as regards the release of Nessen.




Sutarto said that the GAM should not use innocent people as living shields in their struggle.



As for the release of Ferry Santoro, Sutarto promised that the TNI would carry out the release peacefully without imposing any complicated requirements.



However, he added that the measures for the release still needed to be discussed in a meeting with Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, National Police Gen. Da’I Bachtiar and Indonesian Red Cross chairman Mar’ie Muhammad in Jakarta today (5/1).


Deddy Sinaga - Tempo News Room