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Indonesia rules out military operation to rescue abducted sailors: Luhut
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Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan speaks to journalists after a coordination meeting related to a suicide bombing in front of the Surakarta Police in Central Java on July 5. (Antara/Maulana Surya)
T
he government deems a military operation as a last resort to rescue 10 Indonesian sailors held hostage by armed groups in the Philippines, and is instead stepping up other efforts in respect of the Philippines’ sovereignty, a minister said on Tuesday.
The government is working on several options to release Indonesians allegedly abducted by Abu Sayyaf militants operating in the southern Philippines, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut B. Pandjaitan said. He updated President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on the kidnapping situation on Tuesday, along with the latest information on the South China Sea dispute.
"But one thing’s for sure, military operations will be ruled out because we must respect another country’s Constitution," Luhut told journalists at the State Palace on Tuesday.
"We are also ensuring security," he further said, declining to give further details.
The government will also wait for the results of discussion between Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu with his counterparts from the Philippines and Malaysia next week on Tuesday as a follow-up to a trilateral agreement on joint maritime security formed in May. The ministers are also slated to talk about further measures to release the hostages.
Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo said he had prepared troops for possible military involvement in the rescue operations. The Philippine government had given Indonesia a green light to enter its territory should hostage-taking occur in the future, following the kidnapping of seven Indonesian sailors in June. However, no concrete agreement on such operation has been made yet between Jakarta and Manila. (rin)
