Government Remains Convinced, No Ransom for Freeing Indonesian Hostages

JAKARTA - Indonesian government still insisted that no ransom was paid as reported by Philippines media.

During a press conference at the offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jakarta on Monday (2/05), Patria Maritime Lines commissioner Loudy Irwanto Ellias declined to respond to questions regarding the ransom, besides saying that more still needed to be done.

Loudy was referring to ongoing efforts to secure the release another four Indonesians who were abducted by the terror group in a separate attack last month.

"I have no comment on (the ransom demand). There are still four Indonesians who have not yet been released. So there is still more homework that needs to be done. Even though the four are not our men, we still have to pay attention to their wellbeing," he said.

Loudy said the company had been in contact with the Abu Sayyaf group at least once a day since the abduction of its employees on March 28 but that the discussions dealt mainly with the hostages' safety.

The Abu Sayyaf group beheaded Canadian John Ridsdel when the deadline for his ransom passed last week, prompting suspicions that Indonesian officials might have decided to pay the 50 million pesos demanded for the release of the 10 Indonesians.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi insisted that the release was purely the result of diplomacy between Indonesian officials and their Philippine counterparts.

"The release became possible through a very lengthy process. Conditions on the ground are also very unpredictable and complex," she said at the press conference.

Retno said the government would explore all options to secure the release the four remaining Indonesian hostages.

"(But) the government will not pay ransom to the kidnappers," she claimed.

This thing also justified by Indonesian negotiator.

"The liberation has been made without money. It was the results of negotiations and cooperation between Indonesia and Philippines in military intelligence," said retired army Maj.Gen Kivlan Zein said in a short message from the Philippines on Monday.

Kivlan said he represented PT Patria Maritime Lines, which owns the tugboat, in the process of negotiations he started on March 27, 2016 with support from the Philippine authorities.

Support came mainly from Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan II, who is a nephew of the leader of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Nur Misuari. Abu Sayyaf was former driver of Nur Misuari, who was governor of the autonomous Muslim province of Mindanao or ARMM in 196-2001.

"As representative of the company (PT Patria Maritime Lines) I asked for support from the Sulu governor to persuade the abductor and I succeeded in persuading him," Kivlan said.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian military (TNI) Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) and its Philippine counterpart with support of the Sulu governor and leaders of lower district administrations in Sulu also sought to persuade the abductors.

Finally with persuasion and pressures by military attacks and bombing, the abductors agreed to arrange the liberation of the hostages by handing them over to the Sulu governor, Kivlan said.

He said currently he was in the process of the liberation of four other Indonesian crewmen of the TB Henry which was abducted later by other group of the separatists in the Philippines.

"We have known their positions . I have made contacts with the abductors of the four Indonesians. Hopefully we could also set them free," said Kivlan, who was former chief of staff of the Army Strategic Command (Kostrad).