| Mapenduma hostage crisis | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Papua conflict | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Indonesia |
 Republic of West Papua | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Prabowo Subianto |
Kelly Kwalik | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
|
Free Papua Movement | |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
100 commandos 3 helicopters | 200 fighters | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
5 killed 1 helicopter crashed |
8 killed 2 captured | ||||||
| 2 hostages killed | |||||||
  Location within Western New Guinea | |||||||
The Mapenduma hostage crisis began on 8 January 1996 after the Free Papua Movement (Indonesian: Organisasi Papua Merdeka (OPM)) took 26 members of a World Wildlife Fund research mission captive at Mapenduma, Jayawijaya in Irian Jaya (now Nduga Regency in Highland Papua), Indonesia. The hostages were subsequently moved to Geselama. The International Committee of the Red Cross acted as an intermediary between the OPM and the Indonesian authorities. Fifteen hostages, all of Indonesian nationality, were released relatively quickly, but eleven (comprising four Britons, two Dutch, and five Indonesians) remained in OPM hands. After lengthy negotiations the ICRC secured an agreement for the release of the remaining hostages on 8 May. However, the OPM leader, Kelly Kwalik, backed out of the agreement on the day of the intended release. The ICRC removed itself from the negotiations and stated that the Indonesian Army was no longer bound by an agreement not to engage in combat with the hostage takers.
On 9 May Indonesian Army Special Forces (Kopassus) moved into the village but found it unoccupied. Five personnel were killed in a helicopter crash. A small observation force was left behind and, after this confirmed the OPM and their hostages had returned to the site on 15 May, a second assault was made. This was successful and effected the release of nine of the hostages, two being killed by their captors. Eight OPM fighters were killed and two captured versus no loss on the Indonesian side, save for the helicopter crash. There was some international controversy over the use of an unmarked civilian helicopter by the Indonesian forces, which may have misled the OPM.
- ^ "Carving Up Papua: More Districts, More Problems". Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (in Indonesian). 2013-10-09. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ Barlow, Eeben. "Hostage Rescue in Indonesia and the Art of the Raid". The Counter Terrorist Magazine, Journal for Law Enforcement, Intelligence & Special Operations Professionals. Vol. 7, no. 1. Miami, Florida: Security Solutions International. pp. 8–17. ISSN 1941-8639. February/March 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
- ^ Mark Davis (Reporter and Producer); Matt Brown (Researcher); Peter Cronau (Researcher) (12 July 1999). Blood on the Cross. Four Corners (Television production). Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
- ^ Cronau, Peter (January 2000). "Sandline's mercenaries helped Kopassus". Pacific Journalism Review. 6 (1): 33–35. ISSN 1023-9499. Archived from the original on 9 March 2001.