AFTER HOSTAGE CRISIS GETS HAPPY ENDING, SECURITY BECOMES PRIORITY by Fardah

Jakarta, May 14, 2016 (Antara) - The hostage crisis in which 14 Indonesian sailors were held by Abu Sayyaf group finally ended peacefully as they were released safe and sound.

         The hostages were released in two stages, and came as a big relief to the Indonesian government as also to the  families of hostages.

         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.

         "Thank God, the four Indonesian citizens, who were held hostage by the armed group, have been released," President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated at a press conference on May 11.

         They have been released, thanks to good cooperation between the Philippines and the Indonesian governments, according to the president, with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Commander of the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) General Gatot Nurmantyo flanking him.    
    President Jokowi revealed that both formal and informal approaches were deployed to secure the release of the abducted Indonesians.

         Following the release of the first lot, Indonesia initiated a trilateral meeting, together with Malaysia and the Philippines, to discuss security measures along maritime borders of the three neighboring countries.

         Held in Yogyakarta on May 5, the trilateral meeting focused on efforts to tackle immediate maritime and security challenges affecting the three countries.

         These included armed robbery against ships, kidnapping, transnational crimes, and terrorism in the region, particularly in the maritime areas of common concern to the three countries.

         President Jokowi even said the hostage release operation was successful, thanks to the meeting.

         The Indonesian government claimed it had paid no ransom to the Indonesian hostage takers in South Philippines.

         Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines Rene Almendras lauded the release of the remaining four Indonesian hostages  in a statement issued on May 11.

         "We thank the Indonesian government, particularly Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, for the very close coordination. We thank the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Indonesia for their coordination," Almendras said.

         He also confirmed that "this seamless coordination was achieved because of the trilateral meeting in Yogyakarta, Indonesia of the Foreign Ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, as well as the Armed Forces of the three countries to combat these criminal activities."
    Earlier, in a meeting with Indonesian President Jokowi and  Minister Retno Marsudi in Jakarta, Almendras expressed the Philippines' firm commitment to cooperate with them to curb lawless elements in maritime areas of common concern, Manila Bulletin reported on May 8.

         This commitment was contained in a Joint Declaration issued at the conclusion of the trilateral meeting in Yogyakarta.

         They said the Joint Declaration affirmed the commitment of the three countries to implement such measures as conducting patrols using existing and agreed-upon mechanisms.

         The three ASEAN member countries have also agreed to convene regular meetings, periodically review agreed upon measures, and  formulate the Standard Operating Procedure for cooperation among the neighboring nations.    
    In the meantime, Minister Retno Marsudi explained that the Yogyakarta trilateral meeting produced a four-point declaration.

         She said the three ASEAN member countries had agreed to conduct joint and coordinated maritime patrols in a bid to maintain regional security.

         According to her, all three countries had also agreed to offer immediate help in case a ship was found to be under any threat or in need of assistance.

         Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines had also agreed to exchange information among their intelligence agencies in response to any emergency situation.

         The three nations will also design a special communication channel soon that is aimed at expediting communication to anticipate any threatening incident.

         Besides Minister Retno Marsudi, the trilateral meeting was also attended by  Minister Almendras, Malaysian Foreign Minister Sri Anifah Haji Aman, Indonesian Defense Forces Commander General Gatot Nurmantyo and high ranking military officers of the two other nations.

         Since the beginning of the hostage crisis, the Indonesian government had been pursuing a peaceful approach in its attempts to free the 14 sailors.

         The safety of the hostages was the government's top priority, the foreign ministry frequently stated.  
    Following the safe release of the 14 hostages, Indonesia  thanked the Philippine authorities, saying that the freed men were safe under the neighboring country's protection.

         The Abu Sayyaf group has been carrying out kidnappings for ransom for years and currently holds a Canadian, a Norwegian and a Filipina, according to the Wall Street Journal.

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 15-05-2016 00:20:34