TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said that Indonesia will continue to make efforts to release Indonesian held as hostages by the Abu Sayyaf armed group in the Philippines.
"We will not let the hostages die, [and they] must be rescued," Ryamizard said at the Senayan Parliamentary Complex on Monday, October 10, 2016.
Ryamizard added that the country plays an important role in the effort to release the remaining two crew members of the Charles tug boat currently held as hostages. Moreover, Ryamizard stated that previously, three crew members of the boat had been succesfully freed after being held hostage since June 2016.
On October 2, 2016, Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo and Foreign Ministe Retno Marsudi announced that the government managed to release three Indonesian nationals, namely Edi Suryono, Ferry Arifin, and Muhammad Mabrur Dahri, who were employed as the Charles tug boat crews.
According to Retno, the three Indonesian nationals were officially handed over to the Indonesian government in Zamboanga, Philippine.
Earlier, the Indonesian government had also managed to release three others who were returned to the Indonesian government through the Indonesian Embassy in Manila on September 19, 2016.
Ryamizard explained that the government is still negotiating with the kidnapers to release two more hostages. He promised that the progress would be announced.
MAWARDAH NUR HANIFIYANI