Two RI sailors come home

Two RI sailors come home

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Two Indonesian seamen who were rescued after being kept
captive for two and a half months by rebels in the southern
Philippines returned home safely on Saturday.

On arrival from Manila, Yamin Labuso, 26, and Erikson
Hutagaol, 23, were immediately taken from Soekarno-Hatta
International Airport to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be
reunited with their families.

The reunification ceremony was attended by Minister of Foreign
Affairs Hasan Wirayuda.

Yamin, Erikson and another Indonesian sailor, Ahmad Resmiyadi,
who remains in captivity, were abducted late in March after their
Malaysian-registered tugboat was attacked off Malaysia's Sabah
state by a group calling itself Jamiat al-Islamiah of Southern
Mindanao.

The group is allegedly affiliated with the Abu Sayyaf
terrorist group.

The two sailors were rescued on June 12 by Philippines elite
forces during a raid on a rebel hideout in the southern island of
Jolo. The third hostage was not freed because he was being kept
at a separate location.

Speaking to reporters briefly as they recounted the ordeal,
the two said that the abductors, wearing masks, had moved them
from one place to another, but had not harmed them at all.

"We were never beaten or treated harshly," Yamin said, but
added that they sometimes only ate one meal every two days.

Asked about the condition of Ahmad, he said that they last saw
him 15 days before the rescue and he was in good condition. Since
then, they had not been in contact with him.

Hasan welcomed the return of the two sailors, but quickly
added that the government was concerned for the remaining sailor.

He said the government would continue to cooperate with
Philippines authorities to seek Ahmad's release.

"But the release effort has not been as smooth as had been
expected," he said during the ceremony, which was also attended
by Ahmad's parents.

He added that from the various contacts that had been made,
Ahmad was in good condition. (004)