Five of ExxonMobil workers taken as hostages as tension escalates
Police use warning shootings to ask refugees to return home
Wednesday, July 19 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
At least five of gas operator ExxonMobil's workers were taken as hostages on Tuesday by a group of unidentified men as security situation near the gas operator's industrial complex in North Aceh was getting worse, locally circulated newspaper Serambi reported on Wednesday.
The daily said that the two vans carrying foods and other important staples as contribution to the local residents were stopped by a group of identified men on Tuesday morning and seized the van passengers, including five employees of the gas operator.
The sources said that the workers, who had been held for five hours, were released in a good condition following a negotiation between Exxon Mobil's staff and senior members of the pro-independence movement (GAM).
They said that the company had also received a threat from an unidentified telephone caller, demanding the company to close all its activities. The caller also threatened to do "some thing" if the company continue to deploy the government's security officials to safeguard the company.
Meanwhile the Medan-based newspaper Analisa reported on Wednesday that thousands of residents who fled their home and opened tents near the oil operator's industrial complex had been forced to leave the place. The security officials often fired their riffles on the air as warning shootings to ask the refugees to leave the place but their orders were ignored.
About 8,000 of villagers from 25 villages in the Tanah Luas district in North Aceh have left their houses and taken a refuge at an open field near the complex of the Mobil Oil gas operation in the area since Sunday on fear the escalation of armed conflicts between the security forces and members of the pro-independence movement.
The villagers set up tents in the oilfield, located near the oil company's airstrip, which has been closed for months due to an escalation of armed conflicts between the security officials and the pro-independent movement. The influx of refugees started when the security officials began putting up their tents near the gas operator's industrial complex. The locals feared that the deployment of the security force would provoke armed conflicts with the GAM members. (*)