KL officials scrap meeting with Philippine negotiator<\/p>\n
JOLO, Philippines (AFP): Top Malaysian officials canceled a
\nmeeting with chief Philippines negotiator Roberto Aventajado on
\nSunday, further delaying the release of three of their nationals
\namong 17 hostages held by Muslim gunmen here.<\/p>\n
Aventajado was in nearby Zamboanga city to meet former Sabah
\nminister Yong Teck Lee and Malaysian deputy education minister
\nDatu Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin, but was told they could not attend
\nthe meeting.<\/p>\n
It was moved back to Tuesday which meant the three Malaysians,
\nheld by the Abu Sayyaf group in Jolo island, would not be freed
\nuntil then, Aventajado told reporters before leaving for Manila.
\n"The release of the Malaysians has been delayed because of their
\n(the officials) absence. Nothing will happen until Tuesday,"
\nAventajado said.<\/p>\n
He said he had relayed his "disappointment through a private
\nchannel" to Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and urged
\nhim to "talk to these officials to get their acts together".<\/p>\n
Aventajado was to have discussed with Lee and Shamsuddin the
\npossibility of setting up mango, orange and coffee plantations in
\nthe Abu Sayyaf stronghold of Talipao town in exchange for the
\nrelease of the Malaysians and two Filipinos.<\/p>\n
These plantations are to be included under a "livelihood
\npackage" for the rebels, although sources have said the rebels
\nwere asking 15 million pesos ($340,900) for each of the
\nMalaysians.<\/p>\n
Aventajado earlier said if an agreement was reached between
\nhim and the Malaysian officials, the five hostages could walk
\nfree as early as Monday.<\/p>\n
Abu Sayyaf leader Galib Andang, also known as Commander Robot,
\nsaid his group would release more hostages, but warned that a
\nmilitary rescue would backfire.<\/p>\n
"If they launch an operation against us, we may be forced to
\nburn the town of Jolo or Zamboanga city," he stressed to
\nreporters in a taped message.<\/p>\n
He also boasted the Abu Sayyaf had raised enough cash and
\nfirearms to counter the military, a tacit confirmation that they
\nhad received huge ransoms in exchange for hostages freed earlier.
\n"If they do that, we will revenge. We have funds. If they give us
\nproblems and a headache, we will give the same to them, even
\nbigger."<\/p>\n
The three Malaysians and two Filipinos were among 21 Asian and
\nEuropean hostages abducted by Abu Sayyaf gunmen from a Malaysian
\nresort in April and brought across the border by boat to Jolo.<\/p>\n
The group later seized journalists covering the hostage
\ncrisis.<\/p>\n
Six Malaysians and an ailing German woman from among the
\noriginal group were released, as well as three Filipinos abducted
\nin March from nearby Basilan island.<\/p>\n
A German reporter and two Filipino broadcast journalists,
\ntaken hostage while covering the crisis, were also freed, but a
\ncrew of three French television reporters is still being held.<\/p>\n
The Abu Sayyaf now hold five French nationals, a Franco-
\nLebanese woman, two Finns, two South Africans, two Germans, three
\nMalaysians and two Filipinos.<\/p>\n
An armed gang allied with the Abu Sayyaf also abducted three
\nFilipino construction workers last week.<\/p>\n
Aventajado said he would meet European ambassadors in Manila
\non Monday, to inquire about programs reportedly being planned by
\ntheir governments for the rebels.<\/p>\n
He said he told Commander Robot to discuss the fate of the
\nEuropean hostages alongside the Asians.<\/p>\n
The rebel chief was willing to "release the Europeans ahead of
\nthe Malaysians" if their governments agreed on a livelihood
\nproject similar to that offered by the Malaysians, Aventajado
\nsaid without elaborating.<\/p>",
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