JOINT PATROL CRUCIAL TO PREVENT RECURRENCE OF HOSTAGE-TAKING INCIDENTS by Fardah

Jakarta, July 13, 2016 (Antara) - With hostage-taking incidents happening repeatedly along the maritime borders shared by Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, the Indonesian government has called for a trilateral joint patrol to prevent and pre-empt such misadventures.

         So far, 24 Indonesian sailors have been taken hostage in five separate incidents since March this year, reportedly by Filipino separatist group led by Abu Sayyaf. 
    Of these 24 hostages, 14 were released safely and peacefully. While ten were freed on May 1 after being in captivity since March 26, 2016, four, who were abducted on April 15, 2016, were set free by the same group on May 11.

         Ten Indonesians are still being held captive by the kidnappers hiding in southern Philippines.

         Seven of them, all crew members of Tugboat Charles 001 and Barge Robby 152, were abducted in two incidents, of which the first occurred 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 they were on their way back after delivering coal to the Philippines. 
    Three others were kidnapped in the latest incident on July 9, aboard a Malaysian-flagged trawler LLD113/5/F in the Felda Sahabat waters, Tungku, Lahad Datu, Sabah State, Malaysia. 

   
    The vessel's owner reported the incident to the Lahad Datu Police on July 10. According to information, they were ambushed by five armed men aboard a speed boat who later took them to Tawi-tawi, South Philippines.

         Following the latest incident, Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu invited his Filipino and Malaysian counterparts to a Kuala Lumpur meeting to discuss at length a plan to hold trilateral coordinated patrolling activities involving the three countries.

        The ministers were expected to sign an agreement about conducting joint patrolling, an idea formulated during the meeting, according to Secretary General of the Defense Ministry, Vice Admiral Widodo, on July 12. 
    The meeting, attended by Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu, Philippine Defense Minister Delfin Lorenzana and Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, was expected to come up with concrete measures that could be implemented to strengthen defense cooperation among the three countries.    
    Earlier, Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu had affirmed that the three countries should conduct a military exercise soon, prior to carrying out trilateral joint patrols along their maritime borders.

         He also stated that negotiation was the priority option to secure the release of the hostages, and military option should be exercised as the last resort.

          "A military operation is the last option as it will surely result in  loss of lives. We want to avoid casualties," he emphasized.

         Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi said cooperation agreement on joint border patrol was signed by Indonesia and the Philippines in 1975.   
    Under the agreement, three types of cooperation was to be implemented by the two countries - coordinated cooperation, joint patrol and coordinated patrol.      
    As far as the joint patrol issue was concerned, a trilateral meeting was held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on May 5, and another in Manila on June 26, 2016.

         Retno Marsudi underlined the need to implement the defense cooperation agreement to prevent similar incidents.

        "This kind of incident cannot be tolerated at all," Marsudi reiterated. "Serious efforts, I repeat, serious efforts, must be undertaken immediately, both by the Philippines and Malaysian governments," she stressed.

         The Indonesian government has offered to conduct joint patrolling and to escort cargo vessels sailing to and from the Philippines, the base of the Abu Sayyaf separatist group.

         "That is what we wish to do. We can put four to five soldiers on one ship," TNI commander General Gatot Nurmantyo offered on July 11 after attending a coordination meeting of the crisis center for securing hostages' release.

        "We have offered everything, but it is up to the Philippines," the four-star general mentioned.

         In fact, the Indonesian government has banned Indonesian-flagged vessels from sailing to the Philippines since last month.

         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.

         Furthermore, President Joko Widodo has asked Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to take firm action and to help secure the release of Indonesian hostages.

        President Duterte, who started his six-year term on June 30, has warned the Abu Sayyaf group to stop this wave of ransom kidnappings, saying he will eventually confront them, according to Al Jazeera on July 12.

         Filipino regional military spokesman Major Filemon Tan announced on July 11 that Philippine troops killed 40 Abu Sayyaf Group fighters and wounded 25 others, at two battlefronts on the southern islands of Mindanao during the first major operation under President Duterte.

        Al Jazeera reported that 22 fighters were killed and 16 others wounded in assaults that started last week in the jungles of Jolo in the southern Sulu province. One soldier was also killed in the fighting.

        Another 18 Abu Sayyaf fighters were killed and nine others were wounded in simultaneous offensives in the nearby island province of Basilan. ***2***
(f001/INE)
EDITED BY INE/H-YH