Wednesday, June 29, 2016

THIRD HOSTAGE CRISIS FORCES INDONESIA TO BAN PHILIPPINE-BOUND SHIPS by Fardah

Jakarta, June 29, 2016 (Antara) - Since March this year, Indonesia has faced three hostage incidents in the waters of southern Philippines, with the two earlier crises ending peacefully as 14 Indonesians were released safely.
         Ten Indonesian boat crew members were released on May 1 after being held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf group since March 26, 2016, while the four others held captive since April 15, 2016, were set free by the same group on May 11.
          In the latest crisis, seven Indonesian ship crew members of Tugboat Charles 001 and Barge Robby 152 were abducted in two incidents, with the first occurring on June 20, 2016, at 11:30 a.m. local time and another at 12:45 p.m. local time in the Sulu Sea while on their way back from the Philippines after delivering coal cargo.
        When the incident occurred, the vessels were carrying 13 crew members, but six of them and the ships were released.  
    According to a media report, one of the hostages recently called his wife and informed her that the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rp20 million ringgits, or some Rp60 billion, and had threatened to kill the hostages if it was not paid.

          Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi condemned the latest hostage-taking incident and emphasized that the government will not tolerate it any longer and will take all possible steps to secure the release of the hostages.
          The minister urged Manila to secure its South Philippine waters to prevent the recurrence of crimes by the armed Abu Sayyaf militant group and disruption of economic activities in the region.
          The Indonesian government was ready to work with the Philippine government to free the Indonesian sailors, she noted on June 24.    
    A week after the latest incident, the Indonesian government had announced that it was able to locate its seven citizens.
        "Our seven Indonesian crew members are in good condition, and they are currently still around Jolo Island," Minister Marsudi informed the press on June 28.
       Furthermore, Minister Marsudi stated that the seven hostages were sometimes split into two groups while moving around Jolo Island.
        "We have delivered this update to the families of the crew members, and we will keep them informed from time to time," she affirmed.
           Minister Marsudi added that the ministry had sent some diplomats to Davao in a bid to gather more information and to communicate with related parties in the Philippines to discuss ways to secure the release of the hostages.
        "The Indonesian government's main priority is the safety of the hostages, and we will continue to intensively communicate and coordinate with all parties," she stressed.
        Prior to this latest incident, Indonesian, Malaysian, and Philippine defense ministers had met in Manila to discuss the implementation of coordinated patrols on the shared maritime territories susceptible to piracy and other transnational crimes.
          Among the matters discussed during the Manila meeting were the implementation of coordinated patrols through accelerating the signing of a framework on arrangements, information and intelligence sharing, planned joint naval exercises, and the formation of a joint military command post.
          At the meeting, Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu had echoed Indonesia's steady commitment to contributing to peace and development in the Southeast Asian region and had underlined the importance of implementing coordinated patrols.
          As the hostage-taking incidents have occurred repeatedly within just few months, the Indonesian government has decided to ban Indonesian-flagged vessels from sailing to the Philippines.
          The Transportation Ministry issued a sailing notice no. 130/VI/DN-16, dated June 24, 2016, to harbor masters ordering them to not issue permits to Indonesian-flagged vessels intending to sail to the Philippines, the ministry's sea transportation director general, A. Tonny Budiono, remarked recently.
           The seaport masters have been strictly ordered to not issue permits to Philippine-bound vessels without any exception.
         The ministry has also ordered the navigation district officials to anticipate similar incidents in future and to closely monitor the Indonesian waters near the Philippines.
           "Hijacking is a serious crime that cannot be tolerated. Therefore, I urge every district navigation head to instruct every coastal operational radio station to monitor and relay as early as possible if there is any indication of danger," Boediono stated.
          The ministry has also called for intensified maritime patrols.
         Furthermore, the Transportation Ministry has stated that it will not tolerate any vessels from the country sailing to the Philippines in the absence of a guarantee from the neighboring nation.
           However, a permit could be issued only if Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines agreed to conduct joint patrols.
           "If there is a joint patrolling system involving the three countries, then we can (allow the vessels to travel to Philippines)," he added.
             The ministry's Secretary General, Sugihardjo, affirmed that if the Philippines wants Indonesian vessels to sail to that country, then its authorities should guard the vessels while on their way to and from the Philippines.
         The government's decision to ban vessels from sailing to the Philippines would be more disadvantageous for the neighboring nation since 90 percent of its energy resources come from Indonesia, he pointed out.
          "We understand the neighboring country's needs, but for us, the most important thing is the safety of our crews," he reiterated.
          In the meantime, a terrorism observer suggested that the Indonesian government should have an emergency mechanism in place to ensure swift response to any hostage crisis.
           "The government seems to have no emergency mechanism in place to handle a hostage-taking incident," Ridlwan Habib of the University of Indonesia stated in Jakarta on June 27.
          The government's response was late and appeared confused in its approach to handle the latest hostage crisis, he pointed out.
           "Unlike the two earlier hostage-taking incidents, the government had a stuttering response, and it was not fully ready," he stated.
          The vice president and the military chief had initially denied the latest hostage crisis. However, only after a great deal of confusion did the coordinating minister for political, legal, and security affairs set up a crisis center.
          Habib called on the government to evaluate the operational mechanism of the Strategic Intelligence Agency and the Navy's intelligence office to ensure that they can deliver accurate information.
           "We have been praised by the world for successfully releasing 14 Indonesian hostages. Now, we are facing another test with the abduction of seven Indonesians, so please do not be careless," he emphasized.
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(f001/INE/O001)
EDITED BY INE

 29-06-2016 12:52:41

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