Sri Lankan guerillas hold foreign crew at their base<\/p>\n
COLOMBO (AFP): Tamil Tiger guerrillas are holding the two
\nIndonesians and seven local crew members abducted from a Sri
\nLankan ferry at a northwestern rebel base, officials said
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
Intercepts of radio communications by the separatist
\nLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) indicated they were
\nholding the nine-member crew at one of their bases at
\nVidattaltivu, official sources said.<\/p>\n
The report came as concern mounted for the crew of the MV
\nMisen, the ferry that was set ablaze by Tiger guerrillas off the
\nisland's northwestern coast Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n
Owners of the 500-seater vessel have asked the International
\nCommittee of the Red Cross (ICRC) which operates in areas held by
\nthe LTTE to secure their freedom.<\/p>\n
\"We are still awaiting some news from the ICRC,\" a spokesman
\nfor the ship's owner said. \"Our main concern is the crew. We
\nthink it will take some time for the ICRC to get in touch with
\nthe local LTTE leaders.\"<\/p>\n
The defense ministry said another civilian ferry alerted the
\nsecurity forces to the attack on the MV Misen but as navy gun
\nboats approached the area, the Tigers escaped together with the
\ncrew.<\/p>\n
The navy was providing escort to the second ferry, the Tharaki
\nII, which is also used to transport Tamil civilians from the
\nnorthwestern district of Mannar to the Jaffna peninsula in the
\nnorth of the country.<\/p>\n
The attackers torched the MV Misen as it prepared to take 300
\npassengers to Jaffna as part of the government's effort to re-
\nsettle Tamil civilians displaced by fighting there in 1995, the
\nministry said.<\/p>\n
\"This act of terrorism has inconvenienced the displaced
\ncivilians as it retards the speed of ferrying them back to
\nJaffna,\" the ministry said.<\/p>\n
The 500-seater MV Misen was skippered by an Indonesian, Nang
\nHadi and his chief engineer was also an Indonesian identified as
\nImam Wahyudi, the owner of the vessel said.<\/p>",
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