'Money' behind abductions by Abu Sayaf

Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Ahmad Resmiyadi, one of three Indonesian fishermen kidnapped by Muslim rebels in the Philippines last May, was eventually set free and arrived in Jakarta last week.

His two abducted colleagues, Erikson Hutagaol and Yamin Labusu, had been released in June.

National Police detective Sr. Comr. Benny Mamoto, who was actively involved in negotiations to release Resmiyadi, said here on Tuesday that the fisherman were set free without too much trouble following a joint operation between Indonesian and Philippine police.

However, Benny refused to specify the exact location where Resmiyadi was rescued, saying that it could spark more trouble from the kidnappers in the future.

Benny acknowledged that the Indonesian police lost two of their agents who were involved in the operations to locate the kidnappers and militia groups in the Philippines.

It was members of the Abu Sayyaf based in the southern part of the Philippines, who abducted Resmiyadi and the two other Indonesian fishermen, he said.

"Their motive was purely money. There was no political motive at all. They are jobless and roam the seas to find any victims that they can kidnap," Benny added.

He said the kidnappers had first asked for a ransom of six million ringgit (US$1,800) but later lowered their demand to only 200,000 ringgit.

However, Benny added, the Indonesian government refused to pay the demanded ransom.

He said that Indonesian fugitive terrorist suspects, such as Dulmatin and Umar Patek who both are thought to have fled to the Philippines, were not involved in the kidnapping.

Resmiyadi was the captain of Bonggaya 90, owned by a Malaysian tycoon, which was sailing in waters near Sabah, Malaysia. The fishing vessel was on its way from Malaysia to Berau, East Kalimantan.

There were seven crew members on board the ship, including the three Indonesians. The kidnappers, who called themselves members of the Southern Mindanao Jamiyyah, jumped onto the ship and pointed guns at the three Indonesians before taking them aboard a speed boat to a cluster of small islands in the area.

Benny said that although the three Indonesian fishermen had been kidnapped at the same time, Resmiyadi was later held hostage in a different area from the other two.

"They (the kidnappers) were members of an Abu Sayyaf splinter group. It is possible that their leaders did not know what these (small) groups were doing," he added.

Resmiyadi said that he was treated humanely by the kidnappers.

He said that during nearly six months of being held hostage, he was kept in a small place without any contact with residents of the island.