"The troops are on standby," he said at the presidential office here on Thursday.
Agus said TNI was always ready to carry out all options, including launching military attacks on the pirates.
Efforts to end the hijacking were still underway, he said adding PT Samudera Indonesia as the ship`s owner continued to negotiate the mechanism of paying ransom with the pirates.
"What we are observing now is the mechanism (of paying ransom to the pirates). It is not easy how to send the ransom," he said.
Earlier, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto said the government had mobilized its military force to Somalia as part of efforts to rescue 20 crew members of the hijacked cargo ship.
Two frigates with 401 naval and army troops on board are being stationed in the waters around the African continent.
To rescue the 20 sailors the government gave priority to negotiation over attack, Djoko said.
MV Sinar Kudus carrying nickel ore was hijacked by Somalian pirates off the coast of East Africa while on its way to Rotterdam, The Netherlands, last March.
The Somali pirates demanded a US$2.6 million ransom for the release of the ship and crew. However, they later raised their ransom demand to US$3.5 million and again to US$9 million. The shipment itself is valued at US$1.4 trillion.
MV Sinar Kudus is not the first Indonesian-flagged ship hijacked by the pirates. In February 2010, the CakaaraNews (Somali website) reported that the Somali pirates "received the largest ransom of $7.5 million for releasing an Indonesian ship carrying chemicals and its 28 crew". (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
