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Indonesia wants hostages freed ASAP, without ransom payment
The government wants the 14 Indonesians held hostage by Philippine militant group Abu Sayyaf to be freed as soon as possible, but without caving in to ransom demands, Jokowi said on Tuesday.
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President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo (center) answers questions from journalists on the government's recent attempts to rescue the 14 Indonesian seamen held captive by the Philippine rebel group Abu Sayyaf, at the State Palace on Tuesday. (Photo Courtesy of Cabinet Secretary Website/Jay)
T
he government wants the 14 Indonesians held hostage by Philippine militant group Abu Sayyaf to be freed as soon as possible without paying a ransom, but instead via intense communication with the local authorities, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said on Tuesday.
Both Indonesia and the Philippine government have reportedly intensified communication with each other as well as with the rebel group regarding the hostages. The Indonesian government has been forced to take a back seat in efforts to free the hostages as it may not enter the Philippines’ territory without permission.
"We want the hostages to be released soon but we must realize that they are in another country. We need permission to enter if we want to deploy our troops," Jokowi told journalists at the State Palace on Tuesday.
Based on the latest information received by the government, the hostages are all in a healthy condition, Jokowi said. He reiterated the government’s rejection of any possibility of paying the requested ransom to the militant group.
"We don't have any business paying the ransom," he said in response to the US$1 million ransom requested to guarantee the release of the Indonesian crew members.
No timeline has been set by the government as the situation on the ground remains difficult, hampering any rescue efforts. The group has reportedly moved the hostages between several locations amid intensifying rescue operations by Philippine security personnel.
The government will invite Military chiefs and the foreign ministers of the Philippines and Malaysia to meet in Jakarta this week to discuss a joint-patrol plan to prevent such incidents from taking place again in the future.
"We will conduct joint patrols to ensure the travel in the region is truly safe," the president said.
The 14 Indonesian captive comprise 10 taken from tugboat Brahma 12 and barge Anand 12 hijacked in late March, and four taken from the Henry tugboat and Christy barge when the vessels sailed through Malaysian and Philippine waters in mid-April.
Six crew members managed to evade the kidnapping attempt and five have since returned to Jakarta while one crew member was still being treated in a Malaysian hospital from a gunshot wound inflicted during the hijacking attempt. (rin)
