INDONESIA PRIORITIZES SAFETY OF SAILORS HELD HOSTAGE BY ABU SAYYAF by Fardah

Jakarta, April 9, 2016 (Antara) - The Indonesian government has been carrying out a peaceful approach it its attempt to free 10 sailors being held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf group in the Philippines.          The safety of the hostages is the government's priority, the foreign ministry has stated.          "We never talk about the deadline. Our focus is to save the 10 Indonesians no matter when and how long it takes," Arrmanatha Nasir, spokesman of the foreign ministry, said in Jakarta, April 8.         Every effort to secure the release of the hostages was "well monitored," Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said earlier, and added that Jakarta had intensified its coordination with Manila authorities.        She had received valid information that the 10 Indonesians, kidnapped in waters near the Philippines on March 28, 2016, were in good condition, she also revealed.         Various media reports have stated that the deadline for ransom had been set for May 8, but the ministry denied of having known nor mentioned about the deadline.          The Abu Sayyaf group has demanded a 50 million peso ransom, or about Rp14.2 billion.     Additionally, the ship's owner is willing to pay the ransom being demanded by Abu Sayyaf, to see the release of the vessel's crew, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said.          The Indonesian government is still coordinating with Philippines authorities to free the hostages through negotiations, he noted.         Indonesia, cannot send security personnel to the Philippines, due to the neighboring country's Constitution that does not allow any foreign military's operation, according to Pandjaitan.         The government is prioritizing the dialogue option with the Abu Sayyaf militants to free the 10 Indonesian crew members, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) confirmed April 4.           The government, however, is also readying a swift action force in Tarakan, East Kalimantan, to conduct an operation whenever the need arises.          The Indonesian military cannot take any action in another country's waters without its prior permission, the President affirmed.          A military operation to free hostages in another country also requires a green light from the House of Representatives (DPR), he added.          The government has not sought the DPR's permission to conduct such an operation, he remarked.          Furthermore, Vice President M Jusuf Kalla said the government has opted for a humanitarian approach for securing the release of the   sailors.         "We are promoting dialogue to free the hostages. We are also prioritizing the use of a humanitarian approach against the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group," Jusuf Kalla said recently.          Earlier, the Philippines government had discovered the location of the pirates who had hijacked an Indonesian vessel and its crew.         "The Philippines government has discovered the location of the pirates. They are located in the jurisdiction of the country. I will continue to monitor the situation," Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander General Gatot Nurmantyo said.          If the Philippines needs Indonesia's assistance, the commander noted, the military will be ready to help the country.         "Our priority is to save the Indonesian citizens," he remarked.          Commander of the Indonesian Army's Strategic Command Lt Gen. Edy Rahmayadi stated on April 7 that Indonesia awaited an approval from the Philippines to conduct a military operation.         "We are just waiting for a hint from the Philippine government whether (we will) be involved," the commander noted in a statement.          The commander affirmed that the Army's Strategic Command was ready to carry out any task for the country.         A joint exercise of swift reaction strike unit involving the Indonesian Army, Navy and Air Force, was held in Tarakan, North Kalimantan, on April 3.          The strike unit has the capability to secure the release of hostages in any condition, he noted.           He pointed out that the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) has had a good track record in hostage-release operations.          The TNI had succeeded in releasing Indonesian crew members aboard MV Sinar Kudus who were held hostage in Somali in May 2011.          The military operation had been launched after the Somalian government had hinted their inability to tackle the hostage situation and had finally urged the Indonesian government to handle it through a military operation.         In the meantime, the joint exercise in Tarakan, featured multi-function scenarios such as hostage release, terrorist combat, and freeing the nation's vital objects and strategic industrial areas,  Lt Gen. Edy Rahmayadi stated.          Some 500 personnel belonging to the elite units of the three forces participated in the exercise.         The elite units were the Army's Special Force Command, the Navy's elite Frogmen Command, Bravo Detachment, Combat Recon Unit, and Jala Mangkara Detachment.         The joint exercise involved a Bell helicopter, Super Puma, and CN295 aircraft in addition to five warships: KRI Surabaya, KRI Ajak, KRI AMI, KRI Mandau, and KRI Badau.          The exercise was held to demonstrate the Defense Forces' commitment to protecting the Indonesian territories from any hostile elements, he emphasized.           The PPRC has the capability to free hostages in any terrain, regardless of sea, air, or land, including in forests, mountains, buildings, trains, aircraft, and buses, he noted.          "The three forces are ready to move, waiting for a signal from the government," he added.          As there is no confirmation that Indonesia would be involved in the release efforts, Rahmayadi has assumed that the Philippines government is capable of dealing with the problem and ready to take responsibility. ***2*** (f001/INE/o001) EDITED BY INE (T.F001/A/BESSR/O. Tamindael) 09-04-2016 12:42:59