DATE=8/24/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=PHILIPPINES-HOSTAGES (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-265813
BYLINE=GARY THOMAS
DATELINE=BANGKOK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: European leaders have urged Philippines
President Joseph Estrada not to use force to resolve a
four-month hostage situation. The leaders expressed
their disappointment the hostages' release did not
occur last weekend, as expected. As V-O-A Southeast
Asia Correspondent Gary Thomas relates, contradictory
reports continue to circulate about when the
kidnappers might free them.
TEXT: In a letter to President Estrada, the leaders
of France, Germany, and Finland say they are deeply
concerned that efforts to free the hostages have
failed.
But the leaders also urged a peaceful negotiated
solution to the four-month old hostage drama in the
southern Philippines. In the letter - dated Tuesday
and released Thursday - the three leaders said the
safety of the hostages being held by Islamic rebels
must not be undermined by the use of force.
The European leaders' plea for a negotiated solution
was echoed by Western hostages themselves in messages
sent to their respective embassies and President
Estrada.
Members of the Abu Sayyaf rebel group kidnapped 21
people, most of them foreign tourists, from a
Malaysian diving resort in April. French, German, and
Finnish citizens are among those being held. The
rebels later freed some of their captives, but seized
three French journalists attempting to cover the
hostage crisis as well as a group of 17 Filipinos.
The rebels are demanding about one million dollars for
each of the Western hostages. According to some
reports, Libya - which has been acting as a broker in
the hostage negotiations - has agreed to pay the
ransom, although the exact figure has not been
disclosed.
The Western hostages were to have been freed last
weekend, but the rebels backed out of the deal at the
last minute. Government negotiator Farouk Hussain is
quoted by Reuters News Agency as saying that
"misunderstandings" had aborted the planned release,
but that those differences have now largely been
resolved.
The rebels are now reported to be proposing freeing
the hostages in batches rather than all at once to
minimize chances of an attack by military forces.
But conflicting reports persist about when the
releases might come. Mr. Hussain said the release of
some of the hostages could perhaps begin within the
next couple of days. However, other reports quote
officials as saying no firm timetable has been fixed.
They say there will not be any release this weekend,
and that the rebels are not likely to free any of
their captives until at least next week, if then.
President Estrada has turned down offers of help from
both the United States and Malaysia to resolve the
crisis. (signed)
Neb/HK/GPT/GC/FC
24-Aug-2000 08:06 AM EDT (24-Aug-2000 1206 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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