The Chinese Embassy in Indonesia confirmed Tuesday that five Chinese citizens who worked for a mining firm in Aceh province had been kidnapped by gunmen over the weekend and remained hostages.

A group of gunmen abducted seven Chinese workers and an Indonesian citizen in Gayo Lues district, Aceh province, on Saturday evening.

On Sunday evening, two Chinese hostages have been released to deliver their demand for a ransom of 300 million rupiah (32,633 US dollars), an embassy staff told Xinhua.

The embassy is working closely with the Indonesian government and the police to ensure the safety of the hostages and take all necessary efforts for their immediate release.

(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2008)