The TNI chief made the remarks responding to the impression gaining ground that the armed group selected Indonesian citizens as its target for abduction when it took hostage crew members who were fishing in the Malaysian and Philippine borders on Sunday (July 10).
"(They held hostage the Indonesians) possibly because we are too persuasive, whether due to economic reasons or due to some political factor," the TNI chief remarked after attending a coordination meeting at the crisis center to secure release of the hostages.
Gatots reference to "persuasive approach" was meant to underline the tendency of the Indonesian government to resort to negotiations with the Abu Sayyaf group. So far, it has never used military force although incidents of Indonesian citizens being taken hostage had happened repeatedly.
"We did not launch a military operation and they took advantage of it. I think if we launch a military operation, they would be afraid of such misadventure again," Gatot opined.
He, therefore, advocated the implementation of an agreement discussed last June among the defense ministers of Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. One of the points in the agreement is to launch military operations to liberate Indonesian citizens taken hostage in the Philippines.
The TNI chief also asked Malaysia to participate in the efforts to liberate the hostages because they are legal workers who are employed by fishing vessels flying the Malaysian flag.
The Indonesian citizens abducted by the Philippine separatists were Lorence Koten (34 years old), Teodorus Kopong (42) and Emanuel (40).
According to the information of the fishing ships owner, Chia Tong Len, the abductors chose Indonesian citizens to take hostage. They specifically abducted sailors who possessed Indonesian passports.
This led the Indonesian public to deduce that the abductors deliberately choose Indonesian citizens since the Indonesian government is more likely to pay a ransom to secure the victims release.
"President Joko Widodo has asked that the safety of the hostages must be given priority but the governments of Indonesia and the Philippines do not want to shell out any ransom payment," he noted.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi reiterated that the Indonesian government will not support any ransom paying policy although it would give priority to the safety of hostages.
The hostage-taking occurred on July 9 at 11:30 p.m. local time, aboard a Malaysian-flagged trawler LLD113/5/F in the Felda Sahabat waters, Tungku, Lahad Datu, Sabah State, Malaysia.
Of the vessels seven crew members, three, all Indonesians, were kidnapped, while four others were released.
The vessels 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, the minister noted.
The three hostages were reportedly taken to Tawi-tawi, South Philippines.
The ministry has coordinated with the Indonesian embassies in Kuala Lumpur and Manila, as well as the consulates in Tawau and Davao, to closely monitor the developments.
Since March this year, Indonesia has faced four hostage taking incidents, mostly in the waters of southern Philippines, with the two earlier crises ending peacefully as 14 Indonesians were released safely.
Ten Indonesian boat crew members were released on May 1 after being held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf group since March 26, 2016, while four others, held captive since April 15, 2016, were set free by the same group on May 11.
In the third crisis, seven Indonesian ship crew members of Tugboat Charles 001 and Barge Robby 152 were abducted in two incidents, with the first occurring 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 on their way back from the Philippines after delivering their cargo of coal.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
