DATE=8/28/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=PHILIPPINES-HOSTAGES (L)
NUMBER=2-265902
BYLINE=GARY THOMAS
DATELINE=BANGKOK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines have
released another one of their hostages. Five other of the
Western hostages kidnapped four months ago were released
Sunday. As VOA Southeast Asia correspondent Gary Thomas
reports, the rebels are releasing their hostages in small
batches to reduce the risk of a military attack.
TEXT: Thirty-six year-old South African Carel Strydom was
released Monday, one day after his wife and four other
foreigners were freed by their captors.
Arriving in Zamboanga after his release, Mr. Strydom
described his four-month captivity by the Abu Sayyaf rebel
group as "a hell-hole, a nightmare."
He expressed sorrow about his fellow hostages who remain in
rebel hands, and says he is uncomfortable with the
piecemeal release negotiated with the insurgents.
/// STRYDOM ACT ///
I can say it's very sad to leave the other guys behind.
It's not easy coming out one by one because we've been
together in this for so long. And to see one go is unfair.
But we're going along with this in the hope it will work
out well for everyone.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Strydom was later reunited with his wife Monique, who
was among the hostages released Sunday.
Twenty-one people, mostly foreign tourists, were kidnapped
April 23rd from a diving resort in Malaysia and taken to a
rebel camp in the southern Philippines. Some hostages were
later freed by the group, but then they turned around
seized three French television journalists and 12 Filipino
Christian evangelists.
Six foreigners and the Filipino evangelists are still in
rebel hands.
The Abu Sayyaf is one of two Muslim rebel groups fighting
in the southern Philippines for an independent Islamic
state.
The releases were arranged by Libyan negotiators, whom
sources say paid one million dollars in ransom to the
rebels for each hostage. Libya has in the past acted as a
mediator between the government and Islamic insurgents.
The rebels had demanded earlier that the negotiators bring
with them two rebels who were arrested last week carrying
bags of ransom money.
The insurgents are releasing the hostages in small batches,
rather than all at once, to reduce chances of an all-out
assault by the military.
The freed hostages are to fly to Tripoli to meet with
Libyan leader Muammer Gadhafi before returning home.
(signed)
NEB/HK/GPT/JO
28-Aug-2000 03:45 AM LOC (28-Aug-2000 0745 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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