VIVAnews - 5 years ago today, on 29 December 2003, Ersa Siregar, a senior Indonesian TV journalist, was shot dead during gun fight between the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). After taken hostage for six months, Siregar, an RCTI journalist, was killed in a heavy skirmish between TNI and GAM armed guerillas.
Siregar was taken hostage on 29 June 2003 by a group of armed guerillas. Also taken hostages were his cameraman, Ferry Santoro, their driver, and two civilians. They were ambushed by GAM guerillas near the Peureulak area. The rebel took them as hostage after suspecting them of spying.
Fifty-two-year-old Ersa Siregar had worked for RCTI, one of Indonesia's private television stations, since 1993. Since the father of three was taken hostage, a number of Indonesian journalists and human right organizations had attempted to end the hostage situation. However, the rebel refused to let the hostages go, and the TNI started to plan a rescue mission.
On 29 December 2003, an army group spot the location of Siregar's kidnappers. It was during this ambush that Siregar was unintentionally shot dead. Ferry was released later on 16 May 2004 after stiff negotiations involving the TNI, GAM, and a number of Indonesian journalists.
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