The first alternative would be direct negotiations with pirates on the ransomJakarta (ANTARA News) - 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.
"Various options have been discussed. There has been communication between the ship`s owner and pirates. The ship`s owner is in constant contact with the government. We do hope the problem can be resolved as soon as possible," the foreign minister said.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday said the government would take all possible option to release the Indonesian sailors. He asked the people to support and give its trust to the government to overcome the hostage-taking drama in Somalia.
"All possible ways and options will be taken into account by the government but we cannot explain all of them to the public because it deals with the security and safety of the 20 Indonesian sailors who are being held hostage by the Somali pirates," President Yudhoyono said when chairing a cabinet meeting at his office on Tuesday.
According to Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, the government is preparing a number of options but not all of the options could be made public for the sake of the sailors` safety.
Deputy chairman of Commission I of the House of Representatives in charge of defense, security and foreign affairs Tubagus Hasanuddin forwarded four alternatives in freeing the 22 Indonesian crew members held by pirates in Somalia.
"The first alternative would be direct negotiations with pirates on the ransom," he said here Tuesday. The second he said by way of the local authorities, in other words involving a third party. "The third would also be a third party as mediator and the fourth by force by deploying commandos," the former general who turned politician said.
Of the four alternatives, Tubagus Hasanuddin said the second would be rather difficult to realize, because the Somali government authorities lack effectiveness and it would also be difficult to resort diplomatic means with Somalia.
Political Research Director of the Center for Indonesian National Policy Studies (CINAPS) Guspiabri Sumowigeno supported the fourth alternative. He said the Indonesian government could use a military force to face the Somali pirates.
"So far, we have been staying silent and passive regarding pirates. We act only when there are our nationals who become victims," said Guspiabri.
He said that Indonesia did not need to maintain its passive attitude because it was not in line with its profile which was increasingly become high in the global constellations. After all, the international geopolitical landscape has changed and Indonesia as one of the big developing countries is expected to play a bigger and concrete role.
Basically, no matter whether it is the military option or diplomatic one that should be taken, the important thing is to release the hostages immediately. This has become the government`s determination.
Therefore, the government will take fast steps. "The government will take faster steps to solve the problem," Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad told a dialog meanwhile. He said he was not the correct person to discuss with the public the various steps to be taken by the government.
Yet, he said, President Yudhoyono has held several meetings to discuss solutions to the hostage taking of the Indonesian nationals by the Somali pirates. And in this case, there have been a number of steps that would be taken by the government immediately.
Earlier in the day, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto told a press conference at the Presidential Office that the government had directly prepared steps since it was informed of the hostage taking incident. The government in taking the steps will give priority to the safety of the Indonesian sailors.
"Since receiving a report on the hijacking, the government has been doing its best. The president held meetings to discuss efforts with the relevant ministers, such as the chief security minister, foreign minister, the National Intelligence chief and police," said Djoko.
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Reporter: Andi Abdussalam
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
