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| Southeast Asia |
| Jakarta offers to help Manila in hostage rescue effort |
| 2016-03-31 |
| [Gulf Today] Top Indonesian officials on Wednesday offered to send elite teams of soldiers and policemen to help their Philippine counterparts in the rescue operation of ten Indonesian crewmen of a vessel held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf in Mindanao. However, Defense Minister Ryamizard pointed out their offer for help depends solely on its acceptance by the Philippine government. He said, "It is a foreign country. If we are not allowed to enter, then we cannot force it. If Manila is ready to settle it themselves, then we’ll wait but if they need our help then we should enter." Ryamizard also emphasized that Indonesia would not give in to the rebels' demand for the payment of a $1 million ransom for the release of the hostages, the crewmen of an Indonesian-flagged boat taking coal from North Borneo to Manila. Inspector General Anton Charliyan, the chief of the Indonesian National Police said they are ready to deploy the elite Densus 88 counter-terror squad and mobile brigade to participate in the rescue operation. He pointed out these elite units have been successful in several past hostage situations in Indonesia. Indonesia's offer comes amid reports that authorities in Manila and Jakarta have been holding "high level consultations" that could include the participation of the Indonesian military and police forces in the rescue operation. A reliable military source said the Indonesians were crew members of a tugboat which was sailing off the island province of Tawi-Tawi when several armed militants hijacked the vessel on Monday night. With a smaller vessel, the insurgents towed the tugboat which was later recovered along a coastal village. The source said the hostages were now either in Sulu or neighboring Basilan. |
| Posted by:ryuge |