RP hostage crisis<\/p>\n
Entering its third week, the hostage crisis in the southern
\nPhilippines is not showing any signs of coming to an end. Far
\nfrom it in fact: the abductors reportedly tried to break through
\nthe Philippine military cordon recently, using their captives as
\nhuman shields.<\/p>\n
People in the region have raised their eyebrows at the
\nkidnapping, prompting them to ponder how volatile and uncertain
\nsecurity in Southeast Asia is. The incident also signifies that
\nterrorism and violence still prevail in the region despite the
\nsecurity cooperation among member countries of the Association of
\nSoutheast Asian Nations (ASEAN).<\/p>\n
The kidnapping should also be looked upon as a wake-up call to
\nASEAN members to further enhance their cooperation, not only in
\nthe economic and political fields but also in ensuring the safety
\nand security of their citizens.<\/p>\n
The affair began on April 23, when Philippine separatist
\nrebels abducted 21 civilians -- nine Malaysians, three Germans,
\ntwo French, two South Africans, two Finns, two Filipinos and a
\nLebanese -- who were vacationing at the dive resort of Sipadan
\noff the island of Borneo.<\/p>\n
Over the past weeks, members of the Moro Islamic Liberation
\nFront and the more militant Abu Sayyaf rebels have stepped up
\nguerrilla activities in their bastions in the Philippine's
\nsouthern province of Mindanao, aiming to carve out an Islamic
\nstate in the predominantly Catholic country.<\/p>\n
Abu Sayyaf gunmen were also responsible for the kidnapping of
\na group of Filipino hostages in Basilan province, most of whom
\nare still being held in the rebels' jungle hideouts.<\/p>\n
The Sipadan hostage drama has become an international affair
\nbecause it involves the safety of a number of nationalities from
\ncountries grouped in the European Union. The union has been
\nforced to send its envoy, Javier Solana, to Manila to help end
\nthe crisis.<\/p>\n
The decision to dispatch Solana, the union's security and
\nforeign policy advisor, indicates that European countries are
\ndeeply concerned about the safety of their nationals and that any
\nharm done to them by the rebels could jeopardize the credibility
\nof the Philippine government.<\/p>\n
Aware of this risk, the Manila government, while reiterating
\nits unwillingness to pay any ransom for the release of the
\nhostages, has nevertheless shown signs of bending, saying it
\nwould consider development aid for the predominantly Muslim
\nprovinces in the south.<\/p>\n
It is true, as President Joseph Estrada has said, that the
\nkidnapping is purely a Philippine domestic issue. It is also
\ntrue, however, that terrorism is a global problem that has to be
\nresolved jointly.<\/p>\n
An act of terror like taking hostages, irrespective of the
\nmotives underlying it, will never be justified by any country
\nthat upholds law and order. It therefore has to be firmly dealt
\nwith so that similar incidents will not happen in the future.<\/p>\n
Even an envoy from Libya, a country once considered to harbor
\nhard-line terrorists, said on Tuesday that Abu Sayyaf militants
\nhad committed an inhumane act and violated Islam by holding
\ninnocent people hostage.<\/p>\n
In the final analysis, the abduction of tourists by whatever
\ngroup will obviously scare away travelers from the region and
\nadversely affect tourism, one of the major sources of income for
\nmost ASEAN member countries.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rp-hostage-crisis-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}