INDONESIA SEEKS TO SECURE RELEASE OF FOUR MORE HOSTAGES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 3 (Antara) - After the release on Sunday of ten Indonesian sailors taken hostage since March by the Abu Sayyaf rebels in southern Philippines, the Indonesian government is now concentrating on securing the freedom of four more Indonesian hostages.           President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), who thanked the Philippines government for the release of the ten Indonesian hostages on Sunday, said the Indonesian government is still working hard to ensure that four other citizens still in captivity are also released.           In an effort to free the four Indonesian hostages, the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) would implement an intelligence operation involving both formal and informal networks but would give priority to the safety of the hostages.          "President Joko Widodo has called for prioritizing the safety of the hostages," he said. The TNI will also coordinate with the foreign ministry in its intelligence operation.

GOVT TO ACT FAST OVER HOSTAGE TAKING

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 13 (ANTARA)  -  The Indonesian government will act soon in releasing the 22 Indonesian sailors held hostage by Somali pirates aboard  MV Sinar Kudus in the Somali waters since March 16, 2011.          "The government is obliged to ensure the immediate release of our citizens. Therefore, various options and policies have been chosen  to do so," Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said on Tuesday.          Somali pirates, who hijacked  the MV Sinar Kudus off the coast of East Africa on its voyage to Holland, demanded a US$2.6 million ransom for the release of the ship and crew, but then they raised the ransom demand to  US$3.5 million and then again to  US$9 million. The shipment itself is valued at US$1.4 trillion.         Since the Sinar Kudus owned by PT Samudera Indonesia was hijacked and its crew members were taken hostage by the Somali pirates, the government has prepared a number of steps including continued contact with the ship's owner. The hijacked "Sinar Kudus" ship is now located half a mile from Somali's coastline.