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Jakarta Post

Freed hostages to meet their families: Minister

Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Tue, September 27, 2016

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Freed hostages to meet their families: Minister Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto (left) talks to National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian prior to the handover ceremony at the Coordinating Ministry's office in Central Jakarta on July 28. (Antara/Wahyu Putro)

F

our Indonesian former hostages of the Abu Sayyaf militant group who returned to Jakarta over the weekend are expected to reunite with their respective families on Monday evening, Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto has confirmed.

"Since all the procedures have been completed, they are now in the process of returning home. They are all here already today," Wiranto said on Monday.

Three of the captives, Theodorus Kopong Koten, Lorens Koten and Emmanuel, were crewmen on board a Malaysian-flagged boat hijacked by Abu Sayyaf militants in Lahat Datu waters, Malaysia, on July 9. They will be returning to their homes in East Flores, East Nusa Tenggara.

The fourth sailor, Harman Manggak, was the captain of another Malaysian-flagged fishing boat attacked by armed militants in Sabah waters on Aug. 3. He was freed a few days after the former three's release last week and will be returning to his home in Bulukumba, South Sulawesi.

The government has claimed that no ransom was paid for their release.

Unlike previous hostage releases, the government stayed quiet about the return of the sailors, providing neither public information on their arrival time nor a ceremony to mark the official handover to their families.

Five other Indonesian sailors, who were crewmen aboard the Indonesian-operated tugboat Charles, still remain hostage since June 21, making them the longest-held captives in the recent string of abductions of Indonesian sailors. (bbn)

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