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Jakarta Post

Indonesia to discuss joint task force with Philippines

Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Mon, August 1, 2016

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Indonesia to discuss joint task force with Philippines Newly appointed Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto (right) shakes hands with newly appointed Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan in the handover ceremony at the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister in Central Jakarta on July 28. (Antara/Wahyu Putro)

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ndonesia plans to form a joint task force with the Philippines to take action against militant groups to prevent further hostage-taking incidents in the future, a top minister said on Monday.

The possible plan will be brought up during a meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founder Nur Misuari, who are scheduled to visit Indonesia in the near future, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto said.

"The purpose is to prevent us from having to go back and forth every time there is a kidnapping incident," Wiranto told journalists at his office.

However, the minister did not provide further details regarding the formation of the joint task force and the exact date when Duterte and Misuari would come to Jakarta to discuss bilateral efforts to free the 10 Indonesians currently held hostage by Abu Sayyaf militants.

Ten Indonesian sailors have been abducted at sea in separate incidents over the past months by armed militants in Malaysian and southern Philippine waters. It is believed that the men are being held in Sulu province, the Philippines. There have been four recent kidnappings of Indonesian sailors in regional waters, with the government calling for tighter security measures to prevent further incidents from taking place. (rin)

 

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