| 03-MAY-11 NAT JKT |
| By Andi Abdussalam |
Jakarta, May 3 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) which was successful in freeing 20 Indonesian sailors held hostage by Somali pirates on the MV Sinar Kudus in Somali waters on Sunday, still has to free 13 others aboard the MT Gemini which was hijacked by Somali pirates on Saturday, April 30, 2011. On Sunday, in cooperation with the ship's owner which paid a ransom to the hijackers, twenty Indonesian sailors, and 11 others of other nationalities, were released by Somali pirates after they were held hostage for 46 days since their ship MV Sinar Kudus was hijacked in Somali waters on March 16, 2011. However, a day before the 20 Indonesian sailors were released, the Somali pirates again hijacked another ship, the MT Gemini which is based in Singapore with 13 Indonesian sailors and other crew members of other nationalities on board. The Singapore-based Glory Ship Management which owns the MT Gemini said the ship was pirated on Saturday while it was sailing to the port town of Mombassa, Kenya. It said the crew members included 13 Indonesians, five Chinese, four South Koreans and three Myanmarese. "They were hijacked in Kenya and taken to the north where the headquarters of the hijackers is located, " Chief Security Minister Djoko Suyanto said on Tuesday. Somali pirates were able to carry out hijacking in several places at the same time because they consisted of more than ten organized groups, which according to National Defense Forces (TNI) Commander Admiral Agus Suhartono each have about 30 to 50 members. "There were about 15-20 organized groups with each group consisting of 30-50 members," Agus said. In an effort to free the 13 Indonesian sailors and their friends of other nationalities, Indonesia and Singapore, where the hijacked ship is based, have been developing communications. Chief Security Minister Djoko Suyanto said the government had communicated with Singapore's Maritime Security Force regarding efforts to release MT Gemini ship hijacked by Somali pirates since Saturday. "I have contacted the Maritime Security Force in Singapore. It happened by chance that its director is my old friend. Up to last night, they have not yet been able to communicate with Gemini ship," the minister said after opening a "Maritime Security Desktop Exercise and Law of the Sea Course" on Tuesday. He said that pirates would open communicate after they arrive in their headquarters such as the case of 'Sinar Kudus' ship. "They (MT Gemini) were hijacked in Kenya and taken to the north where the headquarters of the hijackers is located. The Maritime Security Force has not had any communications with the ship. Usually, they will open communications after they arrive at their headquarters," Djoko said. He said that the Indonesian government through the Defense Ministry and the Foreign Affairs Ministry, continued to communicate with the Singapore government. In this case, Indonesia will cooperate with Singapore in the hostage-taking operations. This case was also stressed by TNI Chief Admiral Agus Suhartono. Indonesia will coordinate with Singapore to secure the release of 13 Indonesian sailors on the Singaporean-flagged MT Gemini, Agus Suhartono said. He said it was true a Singaporean-flagged ship had been hijacked by pirates and 13 members of its 25-man crew were Indonesians. "We will coordinate with Singapore so that activities to be carried out to save the crew must be approved by the Singaporean government," he said. He said efforts to save the crew would possibly be done by the TNI task force recently carrying out a military operation in Somalia. In the operation to release the Indonesian-flagged "Sinar Kudus" TNI had deployed an LPD, two frigates, a helicopter and a special unit consisting of personnel from the marine unit, the army's special force and the army's strategic reserve command. Regarding the possibility of Indonesia joining the Combined Task Force One Five One (CTF 151) led by Singapore, Agus said that he had already sent two middle-ranking officers in the CTF 151. "The presence of the officers has been proven effective especially for securing Indonesian-flagged ships that pass the Somali waters. Even they have intensively helped the officers in dealing with the recent piracy of Sinar Kudus," he said. Agus said the CTF was only for securing the shipping lane in the Gulf of Aden. "So the shipping lane is secured by multinational forces requiring ships on the lane to pass through certain points that are secured by them. No talks however have been done with regard to securing ships already pirated," he said. In this case, international law expert Hikmahanto Juwana said the piracy incident befalling Indonesian-flagged ships was a strong reason for Indonesia to take part in the international war against piracy. "The Indonesian government must take part in the international wars against Somali pirates, against their operators in Somalia and in other countries," Hikmahanto said recently. The Indonesian government needed to encourage the United Nations to provide assistance for the Somali government so that Somalia would rise from its bankruptcy. "The increasing incidents of piracy in the Somali waters are a result of the fact that the people of Somali are not able to obtain proper employment," Himahanto said.***6*** |
Selasa, 03 Mei 2011
RI STILL HAS TO RESCUE 13 MORE HIJACKED SAILORS
Minggu, 01 Mei 2011
SOMALI PIRATES FINALLY RELEASE INDONESIAN SAILORS
| By Andi Abdussalam |
Jakarta, May 1 (ANTARA) - Twenty Indonesian sailors, and another 11 of other nationalities, were released by Somali pirates on Sunday after they were held hostage for 46 days since their ship MV Sinar Kudus was hijacked in the Somali waters on March 16, 2011. "On behalf of PT Samudera Indonesia, we hereby state that the 20 Indonesian crew members of MV Sinar Kurdus have been released by the Somali pirates," David Batubara, vice president of PT Samudera Indonesia, owner of the cargo ship said here on Sunday. They were released after a certain amount of the ransom had been agreed to by the hijackers, and PT Samudera Indonesia paid in the small hours of Sunday. Paying ransom was the option rather than launching a military action following calls for priority to be given to the safety of the hostages. However, PT Samudera Indonesia refused to disclose the amount of the ransom it has paid to the Somali pirates. "This is a matter of the safety of the Indonesian crew in other ships still held hostage by the pirates. Though the ship (MV Sinar Kudus) is an Indonesian cargo ship, we cannot disclose the amount of the ransom we have paid to the pirates," David Batubara said. He said that there were still other ships with Indonesian crew members and also flying the Indonesian colors, still held hostage by Somali pirates. "Any information will be very sensitive," David said. He cannot reveal the source of the money nor the mechanism of payment to the pirates. He only stated that the amount of the ransom paid to them did not reach US$4.5 million. "The amount of the ransom as reported is not accurate as it was much higher than than the sum agreed to with the pirates through telecommunication," David said. According to a report, the pirates had released the ship after the ransom had been dropped on them from the air. "We received the 4.5 million US dollars ransom in the small hours of Sunday. We have left the ship and Sinar Kudus was set to start sailing," one of the pirates, who told Reuters his name was Geney from a coastal village of El Dhanane. The Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) Spokesman Rear Admiral Iskandar Sitompul said the government had earlier decided to combine two options of negotiations and military operations in efforts to free the sailors. The combination of the two options is in line with a suggestion of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono made in a cabinet meeting on March 18, 2001, two days after the ship was hijacked. TNI sent a number of military personnel, three ships, one aircraft and a helicopter to carry out the mission. But finally, military attack was resorted to for the sake of hostages' safety. The choice was paying the ransom as demanded by the hijackers. "We only backed it from behind in a very close range," Iskandar said. He said that TNI did not launch an attack for a number of reasons, among others, based on a suggestion of the Indonesian Commercial Skippers Association. It suggested that the government prioritize negotiations. "The relatives, wives and children of those held hostage also asked that efforts should be in the form of diplomacy," he added. After all, the position of MV Sinar Kudus which had lowered anchor was in the middle of two other ships from other countries. A military operation in such a position could lead to the fall of many victims, including those on the ships of other countries, he said. Therefore, the Indonesian side decided to pay the ransom. And as a result, the pirates released them on Sunday. "The 20 MV Sinar Kudus crew members were released after being held hostage for 46 days. The release was made following negotiations," David said. MV Sinar Kudus was hijacked by the Somali pirates about 512 kilometers north of East Socotra in the Somali waters with a crew of 31, including 20 Indonesians. "The 20 Indonesian crew members are reported to be in good health and in safety condition. The crew members have fully taken control of the ship," David said. He said that Sinar Kudus had left the Somali waters at 1.10 pm local time or 5.10 Western Indonesia Time (WIB) on Sunday. It will be escorted by a TNI ship to a place determined by the ship's owner. "All (Indonesian crew) have been released. TNI personnel there will escort it to a safer place," Iskandar Sitompul said in a joint press conference with the executives of PT Samudera Indonesia here on Sunday night. According to the TNI spokesman, the ship needed to be escorted because there were about 15 groups of Somali pirates operating separately in the Somali waters. "If we do not escort it, the ship faces a risk of being hijacked again," Iskandar said. The pirates were highly trained and well organized. Each of the groups owned teams with respective tasks, such as to intercept, negotiate and to be responsible for arms. In the meantime, the Foreign Affairs Ministry through its spokesman Michael Tene expressed a warm welcome to the news about the release of 20 Indonesian sailors on board of MV Sinar Kudus which has been detained by Somali pirates since March 16. "We are pleased to hear about the release and that the sailors are in a good condition," said the spokesman adding that the Indonesian government always care for the condition of its citizens including the sailors.***3*** |