Stevens refuses to surrender

Press, 30 August 1980, Page 1

Stevens refuses to surrender

NZPA Luganville The Vanuatu secessionist leader, Jimmy Stevens, surrounded by Papua New Guinea troops in the Espiritu Santo township of Vanafo, yesterday rejected the latest peace feeler by the Vanuatu Government and refused to surrender. The commander of the Papua New Guinea combat troops occupying the main town of Luganville, Colonel Tony Huai, said Mr Stevens refused to come out of Vanafo with other

leaders of his secessionist rebellion. “It looks as if he is going to stay in Vanafo and fight, unfortunately,” Colonel Huai said in a telephone interview. “This morning he said he would not come down to talk to us. I think he is being pressured by others,” Colonel Huai said. “Some are quite prepared to fight.” Colonel Huai said that as soon as he had received

the message by letter that Mr Stevens would not surrender, he had sent a letter back to the rebels “telling them to make sure all the 60 to 70 women and children were out of Vanafo.” He would not reveal his plans on a possible combat move into Vanafo, but said that if he did. make a move he would take an infantry company of about 120 men. Colonel Huai said he had met Mr Stevens just

outside Vanafo on Thursday morning and after a “brief discussion” it had been agreed that Mr Stevens would attempt to convince a group of hardcore rebels to surrender to the P.N.G. troops. The names of the group were contained in a list of rebel leaders given to Mr Stevens. Instead of Mr Stevens appearing with the other men on the list. Colonel Huai said he received a note from Mr Stevens yesterday morning

saying he would not leave Vanafo. He, said he and Mr Stevens had been communicating through a Vanafo school teacher who had been acting as a go-be-tween for the two sides... He said the school teacher had been carrying notes in. and out of Vanafo “trying his best to negotiate a peaceful solution.” The women and children were expected to leave Vanafo either last night or today. Colonel Huai said.