Pertamina won't pay ransom for two workers in Aceh

Indonesia national oil and gas company Pertamina is determined not to pay ransom for two contracted oil workers in conflict-torn Aceh, a senior company executive said Tuesday.

The kidnappers "claimed they are from GAM," a separatist group also known as Free Aceh Movement, said Effendi Situmorang, who heads up Pertamina's Production Sharing Management Tuesday.

Three workers contracted to Pertamina's Aceh gas production partner, ExxonMobil Oil Indonesia Inc., a unit of Exxon Mobil Corp. went missing April 24. One of the three was released the following day, the same day a ransom demand of 200 million rupiah (US$=Rp.9,300) was made.

The ransom demand has since been reduced to Rp.5 million, and families of the two workers are now allowed to visit the men, said sources familiar with the latest developments.

"We hope they are going to be released unharmed," said Effendi, who stressed that paying the kidnappers the ransom will only encourage more abductions.

The abduction of ExxonMobil Indonesia's contracted workers was the second kidnapping case in less than two months.

ExxonMobil produces natural gas in Aceh, where clashes between local separatists and the military have been violent and responsible for hundreds of lives lost this year. (*)