JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's military is ready to take tough measures, if needed, to combat separatists who, it said, were holding civilian hostages in villages in the eastern province of Papua, but will pursue dialogue first.
Police on Thursday said an armed separatist group linked to the Free Papua Movement (OPM) was preventing more than 1,000 people in five villages from leaving an area near the giant Grasberg mine operated by a unit of Freeport McMoRan Inc.
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