The release of the Uruguay Ambassador as hostage by the Tupac Amaru rebels two hours after two of their comrades were released from Uruguay prisons raised the question as to why the Malaysian Ambassador to Peru, Ahmad Mokhtar Selat continued to be held as a hostage at the Japanese embassy residence in Lima.
It has been reported that the majority of the Cabinet Ministers are overseas holidaying on the occasion of their annual leave. In view of the importance the government and the nation must place on the safety of the Malaysian Ambassador to Peru, one of these Cabinet Ministers who is now on holiday abroad should be diverted to Lima to hold a watching brief for Ahmad Mohtar Selat.
The Japanese Cabinet has set up a special Cabinet task force to deal with the Peru hostage crisis. The least the Malaysian Cabinet can do is to despatch a Cabinet Minister to Peru to impress on President Fujimoro on the seriousness of the Malaysian government and nation that there should be a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
At this stage, it is most unhelpful and completely insensitive for anyone to talk about the “occupational hazards” of diplomats or to express sentiments that they might have to die in the line of duty, as if this could be an excuse for not exerting all possible influence on the Peruvian President and Cabinet to ensure a solution which would safeguard the life of all the 105 hostages still inside the Japanese ambassador’s residence in Peru.
Malaysians must be fully aware of the dangerous situation in the Peru hostage crisis, where the rebels carry backpacks full of explosives and claim to have booby-trapped the entrances of the building. Police in Peru also say the guerrillas include four sharpshooters at strategic windows armed with telescopic night-sight rifles.
Peruvian news media reported that about 80 of hostages are top Peruvians, including Fujimori’s brother, two Cabinet ministers, five Supreme Court judges, five government congressmen, 11 senior officials, several generals and colonels, and three business chiefs while about 60 are foreigners.
Among the foreigners, the Japanese are by far the biggest group, with about 35 businessmen and 17 diplomats and embassy staff among the captives. The ambassadors of Japan, Malaysia, Bolivia, Honduras, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic are the highest- ranking diplomats being held. Argentina’s consul-general is also a hostage.
The Malaysian government should let the people know whether it has been able to establish direct communications with President Fujimoro to convey the concern of Malaysians for a peaceful resolution to the hostage crisis.
(25/12/96)