YONHAP NEWS

(2nd LD) Several hostages in Afghanistan go on hunger strike: source

DUBAI/SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Yonhap) -- Some of the 19 South Korean hostages held by the Taliban in Afghanistan have begun a hunger strike, demanding that they be held together instead of in groups, an informed source told Yonhap on Sunday.

   Taliban rebels seized 23 South Korean Christian aid workers in central Afghanistan on July 19 and later killed two of them, both males. On Aug. 13, the kidnappers set free two female hostages in what they called a "goodwill gesture."
A source told Yonhap News Agency that the captors separated the 19 hostages into five groups for detention at as many different locations in Ghazni Province in central Afghanistan, where they were taken hostage.

   "A man and two women went on a hunger strike from Sunday morning, demanding that they be brought together into one group," the source said, requesting anonymity.

   The kidnappers renewed their threat to kill more hostages unless the Afghan government agrees to exchange the captives for Taliban prisoners, the source said. The warning came Saturday after the latest talks with South Korean negotiators ended without progress.

   At the talks on Saturday, South Korea proposed to pay ransom for the hostages without specifying the amount, and the proposal was reported to Taliban leaders, the source said.

   Factions within the Taliban clashed over whether to accept the monetary offer, but decided to reject it, according to the source.

   A man claiming to be a commander of Taliban rebels in Ghazni province, on Sunday said the militant group has decided to give two more days to the Afghan government to release jailed Taliban fighters, with the deadline being Monday.

   Speaking to Yonhap in a telephone call, the purported Taliban commander, Abdullah Jan, claimed the decision was made at the request of South Korean negotiators.

   Government officials in Seoul refused to confirm the reported deadline, but a spokesman for the presidential office on Sunday said Korean officials in Afghanistan continued to make contacts "stably" with the Taliban militants through direct and indirect means. They said a "hotline" has been set up to ensure direct contact with the Taliban.

   Efforts to save the remaining hostages also continued Monday in Seoul where the country's vice foreign minister, Cho Jung-pyo, met with Afghanistan's top diplomat here to ask for Kabul's support for the hostage negotiations.

   Without going into details, he admitted that there are differences on how to resolve the South Korean hostage issue with the Taliban, but hinted that steady progress is being made to bridge the gap.

   The diplomat added that the Afghan government is doing its part to to help Seoul get the hostages back.

   Cho returned to Seoul last week after leading a South Korean delegation to Afghanistan since the outset of the hostage situation, which started nearly a month ago.

   Afghan officials had led the negotiations with the Taliban, but the talks made little progress as the kidnappers demanded the release of Taliban prisoners, a demand Afghan President Hamid Karzai dismissed after being roundly criticized for freeing five Taliban fighters in exchange for an Italian journalist early this year.

   The U.S. has also refused to make any concessions to the militant group, which it believes is linked to the international terrorist group al-Qaeda.

   Several rounds of face-to-face meetings between South Korean officials and Taliban militants have been held since the beginning of this month, although Seoul remains reluctant to call them direct negotiations due to diplomatic protocol.

   On Sunday, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said his government will work within international norms and principles as it tries to win the release of its citizens in Afghanistan, but added that the top priority is to have the hostages return home safely.

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