DATE=4/29/2000
TYPE=Q&A
TITLE=PHILIPPINES HOSTAGE CRISIS
NUMBER=2-261824
BYLINE=HUGH WILLIAMSON
DATELINE=MANILA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Kent Klein of VOA NEWS NOW in Washington did a
phone Q&A with VOA stringer Hugh Williamson in Manila
concerning the Philippines Hostage Crisis at
12:30AM,EDT, 4-29-2000.
TEXT:
Klein - Philippine forces have attacked and captured
most of a Muslim rebel stronghold but they did not
find the 27 hostages who had been held there for
nearly six weeks. Are officials pessimistic now about
the chances of finding anybody alive?
Williamson - The officials, in public, are saying they
are confident of still finding the hostages alive.
They feel that mounting a military operation is the
only way to secure the hostages release. However in
private there are now greater concerns the hostages
may be dead. It is clear they now have rebels on the
run in this particular incident. Whether they have
killed the hostages or taken them with them is unclear
but concerns are growing among officials and among the
relatives of the hostages.
Klein - There is also another hostage situation in the
Philippines, Muslim rebels in Sulu province are
threatening to behead foreigners among 21 captives
taken from a Malaysian resort last Sunday. They want
the government's chief negotiator replaced. Have
there been any recent developments in that case?
Williamson - The Philippines Defense Secretary Orlando
Mercado on Saturday morning rejected the call for the
chief government negotiator Nur Misuari to be
replaced. He said the government is not changing its
position and its up to Nur Misuari to handle the
negotiations and the ball is very much in his court
(its his turn to make a proposal. In these
negotiations one of the hostages has allegedly been
heard. One of the South African hostages was put on
the telephone by the hostage takers on Friday evening
to plead for their release and to plead with the
Manila authorities to give in to the kidnappers
demands.
Klein - Is the government reassessing its handling of
hostage crises in as much as there are two of these
taking place right now?
Williamson - They are reassessing as they go along.
In talking to officials, they say they realize they
made some mistakes in the handling of the first
crisis, the one with the Abu Sayyaf group on Basilan
island, they say they made too many concessions early
on by sending in a well known actor to be a mediator.
This played into the hands of the Abu Sayyaf group and
their search for publicity and that seems to have
strengthened their hand. In the second hostage
crisis, on Jolo island in Sulu province, the
Philippines government is trying to approach it more
professionally. But the government officials are
telling me the next few days are crucial as to whether
the government can stamp its authority on the
negotiations and define the limits of the negotiations
or whether they let the rebels dictate the terms for
instance by changing the head of the negotiations.
Klein - How is the international community responding
to these crises?
Williamson - Well, the U-S government on Friday put
out a statement expressing deep concern about the
hostage crisis, particularly the one on Jolo island,
involving foreign nationals. They have also given the
"green light" to the Philippine authorities to try and
crush the Abu Sayyaf extremist Muslim group saying
they hope the Abu Sayyaf group will no longer be able
to damage peace and security after these incidents.
The other key point is that the hostage takers on Jolo
island have demanded that representatives of foreign
governments which have hostages in Jolo be involved in
the negotiations and they also want the Libyan
government to be involved. From calling the various
embassies, the spokesman say these countries have no
intention of getting involved saying the Philippines
government is very much in control.
NEB/KK/HW/PLM
NEB/WTW/
29-Apr-2000 02:41 AM EDT (29-Apr-2000 0641 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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