Peru Police Taunt Guerrillas Toss Stones, Bottles At Residence Where Hostages Held For Month

Police lobbed stones and bottles at the Japanese ambassador’s residence on Tuesday, taunting the leftist guerrillas who have been holding hostages inside for more than a month.

The government has launched an overall effort to build pressure on the Tupac Amaru rebels, who show no sign of dropping their demand that the government free at least 300 of their jailed comrades in exchange for the release of the 73 hostages.

A spokesman at Lima police headquarters said he was not aware of the incidents. Telephone calls to the Interior Ministry, which is in charge of the police, were not answered. It was unlikely, however, that the police agents were acting without the approval of their superiors.

Some police agents laughed and one made an obscene gesture at the residence.

They threw empty film canisters, pounded on a door and tossed debris over the 10-foot wall into the yard of the compound, which the rebels seized Dec. 17 during a garden cocktail party.

Holding more than 500 guests at first, the rebels have been releasing hostages gradually.

The taunting drew no response from the estimated 20 heavily armed guerrillas inside. The rebels have warned police to stay 330 feet away, a demand that police commandos defied on Monday by walking slowly in front of the compound.

Rebels and the government have yet to agree on conditions for talks on releasing the hostages, but the Red Cross showed signs Tuesday it was preparing for negotiations.

Red Cross representative Michel Minnig and a colleague strolled along the tree-lined street outside the home in the affluent San Isidro district, taking notes on a clipboard.

Victor Sanconi, who lives across the street, said Minnig asked him if he would allow his home to be used for talks. Sanconi, 71, refused.

“I don’t want to leave my house and I don’t want political problems or anything to do with this,” he said.

Many residents of houses neighboring the ambassador’s have moved out temporarily because of the hostage crisis.

The rebels say they won’t talk unless the government agrees to discuss freedom for imprisoned comrades, many of whom carried out kidnappings and assassinations. The prisoners include the wife of rebel leader Nestor Cerpa.

President Alberto Fujimori has indicated the issue could be raised in debate, but at the same time has flatly refused to trade prisoners for hostages.

His government has proposed a mediation panel that would include representatives of the Red Cross and the Roman Catholic Church. Canadian Ambassador Anthony Vincent, a former hostage, has agreed to participate as an observer.

No date has been set for talks, and it was not clear whether stepped-up police activity around the home might put the brakes on any progress.

Armed police in bulletproof vests sometimes run across the street opposite the residence, crouching in combat poses.

They have thrown objects at the residence on at least one other occasion, and rebels said they responded with warning shots.

The wall of a house next door has several bullet holes.