Indonesia: Kidnapped Sailors Must Be Rescued by This Week
Jakarta, 17 Rajab 1437/25 April 2016 (MINA) – While the month of April is ending soon, the 10 Indonesian sailors are still held hostage up till today in the Philippines. The country’s ability in rescuing citizens being hostage outside its border being tested.
On this, the Indonesian government is reportedly determined to rescue all the sailors still held hostage by Abu Sayyaf militants in the Philippines by this week, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) rported, quoting GIVnews.com.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla and People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Chairman Zulkifli Hasan on Thursday (21/4) held special talks about the fate of the Indonesians. They agreed that the government should try to rescue them this week, Zulkifli Hasan said in Yogyakarta on Friday (22/4) as reported by antaranews.com.
“Last night I met with JK (Jusuf Kalla), and we were hoping that very soon, or within this week, the kidnapping would be ended,” the MPR chairman told reporters after delivering a speech in the national working meeting of an Islam-based mass organization in Yogyakarta.
He said the Indonesian government was going all-out in its negotiations with the Philippine government concerning the salvaging of the 10 Indonesian nationals.
Zulkifli Hasan said however that he did not know about the details of the negotiations.
On March 29, Abu Sayyah militants hijacked two Indonesian-flagged vessels, a tug boat and a coal barge, in the Southern Philippine seawaters and held hostage their crews.
Their kidnappers demanded a ransom of US$ 1.14 million for them to release the 10 Indonesians. (T/R07/R01)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
