May 14-15, 2000

May 14, 2000, AFP, Negotiators leave Philippine hostage island, warn of long wait,
May 14, 2000, AFP, French hostages exhausted and fed up: television crew,
May 14, 2000, BBC News, Jolo hostages 'mentally exhausted',
May 14, 2000, AFP, Malaysian hostages urge Manila to pull out troops: report,


May 15, 2000, AFP, Philippine leader asks hostage-takers to put demands on paper,
May 15, 2000, AFP, Philippine government studies hostage takers' demands,
May 15, 2000, AFP, Philippines rejects military pullout demand by hostage takers,
May 15, 2000, The Straits Times, Eight reporters turn up, two still missing,
May 15, 2000, AFP, Journalists must stay away from Philippine kidnappers: France, Germany,
May 15, 2000, Bernama, Family members try to comfort hostages on radio, by Abdul Muin Abdul Majid,

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May 14, 2000, AFP, Negotiators leave Philippine hostage island, warn of long wait,

JOLO, Philippines, May 14 (AFP) - 20:14 - Negotiators dealing with Muslim extremists holding 21 hostages on this southern island beat a retreat Sunday after failing to win the freedom of any of the captives including an ailing German woman.

They warned not to expect a quick end to the three-week-old crisis as they flew to Manila to consult with President Joseph Estrada on a stack of demands handed them by the Abu Sayyaf rebels at their last meeting on Saturday.

The negotiators tried but failed over two meetings in six days to obtain the release on humanitarian grounds of Renate Wallert, a 57 year-old teacher who has high blood pressure.

Libyan negotiator Rajab Azzarouq, accompanied on the plane by senior Estrada adviser Roberto Aventajado, said talks with the kidnappers were expected to resume "at the latest Tuesday."

Azzarouq warned the governments of the hostages not to expect a swift resolution of the crisis which entered its fourth week Sunday, telling reporters: "It could be a long-drawn session of talks."

Nine Malaysians, a German family of three, a French couple, two Finns, a South African couple, two Filipinos and a Lebanese were seized on April 23 from the Malaysian resort island of Sipadan and brought to Jolo by boat by the Abu Sayyaf, the smaller of two Muslim groups fighting for an independent Islamic state in the southern Philippines.

A French television crew returned Sunday from the Abu Sayyaf camp after they interviewed the two French citizens among the hostages.

Stephane Loisy and Sonya Wendling were "physically not bad," but "mentally, it's another thing," said Michel Scott of TF1.

Scott said "the Abu Sayyaf did not have any intention to harm the hostages at any point, or any circumstance," adding that the only danger was in the form of military operations against them.

Meanwhile the Abu Sayyaf denied snatching any of the foreign journalists covering the hostage crisis after the police reported at least nine of them went missing in rebel territory on Saturday.

Eight of the group turned up on Sunday including the TF1 crew, but at least two others remained unaccounted for, police and officials said.

Scott said he did not see any other journalists there, and added that the gunmen "are not harmful to us journalists."

Provincial governor Abdusakur Tan said the authorities were not immediately worried about the rest.

Provincial police chief Candido Casimiro said police turned back another 10 foreign journalists who tried to breach a government cordon Sunday to reach the Abu Sayyaf hideout.

Azzarouq said the Abu Sayyaf made certain demands "setting the agenda on how to go about the talks. The government has to compose a panel in order to negotiate their demands."

He said the rebels wanted a total military pullout from where future discussions were scheduled to be held, but stressed they had told negotiators they were ready to release the German woman "anytime, once we reach an agreement."

He declined to discuss the other demands, except to say some were "political."

Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon has said the rebels also wanted "reimbursement" for the upkeep of their captives, a local euphemism for ransom.

"We will be ready to negotiate with them for a short time or even for a long time," said Aventajado.

Elsewhere in the south, security forces on Sunday battled Muslim guerrillas of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on the main southern island of Mindanao and freed several dozen civilians who were used as human shields by a retreating rebel column. --AFP

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May 14, 2000, AFP, French hostages exhausted and fed up: television crew,

JOLO, Philippines, May 14 (AFP) - 20:49 - French hostages Stephane Loisy and Sonya Wendling are in fair health but mentally exhausted and "fed up" after three weeks held in captivity by Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines, a French television crew here said Sunday.

The two are "pysically not too bad. Mentally is another thing," said Michel Scott, one of a three-member Channel 1 crew who were the first foreign journalists allowed to interview the hostages.

"They are fed up. They are exhausted, mentally exhausted," said Scott, who said the Abu Sayyaf allowed the crew to interview the two 34 year-olds for 15 minutes on Saturday.

Scott said he and his crew "did not go to a camp. We went to a point where these guys are mobile. We went to a place where they were gathering at that time."

"They will never harm any of the hostages," he said, but added that "maybe the release of part or of the totality of them has yet to come, not close to it."

Negotiators working on behalf of the Philippine government left Jolo earlier Sunday after failing to win the release of any of the hostages, who include an ailing German woman, Renate Wallert.

They said they would take the rebels' unspecified demands to President Joseph Estrada for consultation.

"What I saw from these guys is they are not harmful, dangerous to us journalists," said Scott, who said the crew also interviewed two rebel leaders they identified as a Commander Robot and a Commander Radulan.

The two were "very friendly, very nice. They wanted to express themselves. So far they think that their message has not gone through properly."

Scott said "there's nothing to be scared of the Abu Sayyaf because they know we're journalists and they want to meet journalists. They do not want to harm the journalists."

"My feeling is that they will not harm any of the hostages at any point, under any circumstance," he said, adding that only a military operation against the Abu Sayyaf could change the equation. --AFP

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May 14, 2000, BBC News, Jolo hostages 'mentally exhausted',
Sunday, 14 May, 2000, 16:43 GMT 17:43 UK

A French television crew says it has interviewed some of the hostages being held by Muslim rebels on the island of Jolo in the southern Philippines.

A member of the team, Michel Scott, said they had spoken to two French women among the 21 captives and both had appeared to be in reasonable shape physically.

But he said they were mentally exhausted by their three-week ordeal.

Mr Scott was speaking as a three-man negotiating team flew back to the Philippines capital, Manila, to discuss conditions set by the extremist Abu Sayyaf for starting talks.

Referring to the two women interviewed by the television crew, he said: "They're fed up with all this, fed up, really exhausted, mentally exhausted."

Mr Scott said the crew had also interviewed two rebel leaders they identified as a Commander Robot and a Commander Radulan.

The two had been "very friendly, very nice. They wanted to express themselves. So far they think that their message has not gone through properly."

But Mr Scott warned there had been no indication that the hostages would be released soon.

"Apparently there is absolutely no question of a quick release of any of them, even the German woman," he said.

Negotiators have been trying to persuade the rebels to release a German hostage, Renate Wallert, who is suffering from high blood pressure.

The French television crew was among a group of 13 foreign journalists who disappeared while searching for the rebel hideout, temporarily raising fears they too had been kidnapped.

Most have now returned safely, although two have still to be accounted for.

Negotiations

The negotiators were meanwhile flying to Manila to discuss the conditions set by Abu Sayyaf for starting talks.

They include the complete withdrawal of troops from the area on Jolo island where they are holding the hostages, snatched from a Malaysian diving resort three weeks ago.

Abu Sayyaf are also understood to be demanding independence for the region, and the establishment of Islamic law.

The government indicated on Sunday that it would not bow to the rebel demand to pull back, saying the estimated 5,000 troops and militia deployed around the Abu Sayyaf's mountain stronghold would stay put.

International pressure

Manila has been under international pressure not to endanger the hostages.

Presidential spokesman Ricardo Puno acknowledged that the rebels were in a strong negotiating position.

"I guess at this point, the Abu Sayyaf holds all the cards in terms of what they want to talk about and who they want to talk about," he said.

The government was prepared for drawn-out talks, he said.

Islamic scholar Farukh Hussain, Libyan envoy Rajab Azzarouq and presidential adviser Robert Aventajado were expected to brief President Estrada on Monday and resume negotiations later in the week.

Efforts to win the release of the hostages have been hampered by periodic fighting between the Abu Sayyaf and government troops. --BBC

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May 14, 2000, AFP, Malaysian hostages urge Manila to pull out troops: report,

KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 (AFP) - 19:49 - The foreign minister received a letter Sunday from a Malaysian hostage captured by Filipino guerillas, urging Manila to pull back its troops, the national news agency Bernama reported.

Zulkarnain Hashim, in a letter to Malaysia's ambassaddor in Manila, also sought to smooth negotiations for and the hostages' safe release, Bernama quoted a statement from the office of Malaysia's police chief.

"We, the citizens of Malaysia, urge the Malaysian government to ask the Philippine military to withdraw its troops for negotiations to begin," Zulkarnain was quoted as saying in the letter.

"We appeal to the Philippine military to withdraw immediately and to stop attacking us."

Based on the letter from Zulkarnain, who is a wildlife department officer in Sabah state on Borneo island, he and another eight Malaysian hostages were still "in safe condition," Bernama added.

The report did not say how the letter had been smuggled out. Malaysia's Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai is the government's spokesman for the hostage crisis.

The Malaysians, along with three Germans, two French nationals, two Finns, two South Africans, two Filipinos and a Lebanese were seized April 23 from the Malaysian resort island of Sipadan by the Abu Sayyaf rebels and taken to the southern Philippines island of Jolo.

Filipino negotiators dealing with the Muslim extremists have warned not to expect a quick end to the three-week-old crisis.

The Abu Sayyaf handed over their demands Saturday and pointedly ignored a request to free German teacher Renate Wallert, who suffers from high blood pressure, on humanitarian grounds. --AFP

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May 15, 2000, AFP, Philippine leader asks hostage-takers to put demands on paper,

MANILA, May 15 (AFP) - 13:33 - Philippine President Joseph Estrada instructed negotiators Monday to ask Muslim rebels holding 21 mostly foreign hostages to put their demands for the release of their captives in writing.

Estrada's special envoy Roberto Aventajado said after a meeting with the president that the government would deal "with only one written set of demands and one set of rules in the negotiations to secure the safe release of the hostages," a palace statement said.

"We want them to make collective decisions. Otherwise, how can we hold negotiations at all," Aventajado said in the statenent.

Aventajado has been coordinating negotiations for the release of the hostages from seven nations being held in Jolo island in southern Philippines. --AFP

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May 15, 2000, AFP, Philippine government studies hostage takers' demands,

JOLO, Philippines, May 15 (AFP) - 4:40 - The Philippine government was Monday studying a list of demands by the Muslim kidnappers of 10 foreign tourists and 11 others, which reportedly include the creation of a separate Islamic state in the south of the country.

Negotiators dealing with the Abu Sayyaf rebels on the southern island of Jolo beat a retreat to Manila Sunday after failing to win the freedom of any of the captives, including an ailing German woman.

They warned not to expect a quick end to the three-week-old crisis as they flew to consult President Joseph Estrada on a stack of demands handed over on Saturday.

Late Sunday, a French television station broadcast an interview with the hostage-takers' leader, the self-styled Commander "Robot," in which he restated the group's longstanding demands.

"We would like the Philippine government to restore our ancestral lands, that's to say the provinces of Mindanao and Palawan, so that we can establish an Islamic government here," he said.

The negotiators have failed in two meetings over the last six days to obtain the release of Renate Wallert, a 57-year-old teacher who has high blood pressure.

Libyan negotiator Rajab Azzarouq, accompanied on the airplane to Manila by senior Estrada adviser Roberto Aventajado, said talks with the kidnappers were expected to resume "at the latest Tuesday."

Azzarouq warned those governments with citizens among the hostages not to expect a swift resolution of the crisis, which entered its fourth week Sunday.

"It could be a long-drawn session of talks," he told reporters.

Nine Malaysians, a German family of three, a French couple, two Finns, a South African couple, two Filipinos and a Lebanese were seized on April 23 from the Malaysian resort island of Sipadan and brought to Jolo by boat by the Abu Sayyaf, the smaller of two Muslim separatist groups in the southern Philippines.

Azzarouq said the Abu Sayyaf made certain demands "setting the agenda on how to go about the talks. The government has to compose a panel in order to negotiate their demands."

He said the rebels wanted a total military pull-out from where future discussions were scheduled to be held. But he stressed they had told negotiators they were ready to release the German woman "anytime, once we reach an agreement."

He declined to discuss the other demands, except to say some were "political."

On Friday, Philippine Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon said the gunmen had also asked for "reimbursement for cost of board and lodging," the term used by the extremists for a ransom.

After their television crew returned Sunday from the Abu Sayyaf camp, the French channel TF1 also broadcast an interview with French hostage Sonya Wendling.

She said after three weeks, most hostages were not suffering any great physical malaise, but their mental health had been badly affected.

She added some of the kidnappers were "very, very kind ... some of them ... will give you their shirt."

Michel Scott of TF1 added the hostages were "physically not bad," but "mentally, it's another thing."

Scott said "the Abu Sayyaf did not have any intention to harm the hostages at any point, or any circumstance." The only danger was in the form of military operations against them, he added.

The Abu Sayyaf meanwhile denied snatching any of the foreign journalists covering the hostage crisis after police reported at least nine of them missing in rebel territory Saturday.

Eight of the group turned up on Sunday including the TF1 crew, but at least two others remained unaccounted for, police and officials said.

Scott said he did not see any other journalists, and added the gunmen "are not harmful to us journalists."

Provincial governor Abdusakur Tan said the authorities were not immediately worried about the two missing.

Elsewhere in the south, security forces on Sunday battled Muslim guerrillas of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on the main southern island of Mindanao. They freed several dozen civilians who were used as human shields by a retreating rebel column. --AFP

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May 15, 2000, AFP, Philippines rejects military pullout demand by hostage takers,

MANILA, May 15 (AFP) - 12:41 - The government has rejected a key demand by Muslim extremists that the military pull out from an area where they are holding 21 mostly foreign hostages in southern Philippines, a presidential spokesman said Monday.

Ricardo Puno, press secretary to President Joseph Estrada, said the military had given "enough space" for the Abu Sayyaf rebels following the lifting of a military cordon around their hideout in Jolo island.

The Abu Sayyaf had sought a complete pullout of troops before formal talks can start with a government-sanctioned panel for the release of the hostages, including a German woman who is reportedly very ill.

But Puno said "the military had given the group enough space and no chance enounters (between the army and the guerillas) took place last week," according to local ABS-CBN television station.

The Abu Sayyaf rebels are holding hostage nine Malaysians, a German family of three, a French couple, two Finns, a South African couple, two Filipinos and a Lebanese.

They were seized on April 23 from the Malaysian resort island of Sipadan and brought to Jolo by boat by the Abu Sayyaf, the smaller of two Muslim separatist groups in the southern Philippines.

Puno's statement came as a special cabinet panel on the hostage crisis met late Sunday to discuss a set of initial demands by Abu Sayyaf guerillas before talks start this week on their written demands.

President Joseph Estrada was Monday meeting government-sanctioned negotiators in the hostage crisis in a bid to break the impasse before he leaves Tuesday for a five-day state visit to China.

But the Abu Sayyaf maintained Monday that it would not discuss releasing the 21 hostages unless the government ceased its military operations in Jolo and nearby Basilan island, the guerilla group's stronghold.

"The negotiations won't start unless the military stops all operation in Basilan and Sulu provinces," Abu Sayyaf spokesman Abu Ahmad told Radio Mindanao Network, monitored in southern Zamboanga city.

He said the rebels also wanted a face-to-face meeting with the Armed Forces chief of staff General Angelo Reyes and national police chief Panfilo Lacson.

Ahmad also demanded that he and rebel chieftain Khadaffy Janjalai be given a "safe conduct pass" to join the negotiations for the release of the hostages.

"We have a united decision. We (rebel leaders) should sit down all together and negotiate with the government but before this begins, the government should stop all military operations in Basilan and Sulu," Ahmad said.

Negotiators dealing with the Abu Sayyaf rebels beat a retreat to Manila Sunday after failing to win the freedom of any of the captives, including ailing German teacher Renate Wallert, 57, who is suffering from hypertension.

They warned not to expect a quick end to the crisis before consultations with President Estrada on the stack of demands handed over by the rebels on Saturday.

Late Sunday, a French television station broadcast an interview with the hostage-takers' leader, the self-styled Commander "Robot," in which he restated the group's longstanding demands.

"We would like the Philippine government to restore our ancestral lands, that's to say the provinces of Mindanao and Palawan, so that we can establish an Islamic government here," he said. --AFP

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May 15, 2000, The Straits Times, Eight reporters turn up, two still missing,

JOLO (Philippines) -- Eight foreign journalists reported missing by the Philippine police turned up yesterday, but at least two other reporters covering a hostage crisis remained unaccounted for, police and officials said.

Mr Michel Scott told reporters that he and his France TV1 crew had gone to the Abu Sayyaf camp and were allowed a 15-minute interview with two French citizens, who were among 21 hostages held for three weeks by the extremist Islamic separatist group on this southern island.

That left at least two more foreign reporters -- listed by the police as Agence France-Presse correspondent Olivier Baube and a reporter with France Soir newspaper -- still missing.

"We saw the French hostages who were brought to us for an interview of 15 minutes," Mr Scott said.

Mr Stephane Loisy and Ms Sonya Wendling were "physically not too bad", he said, but "mentally it's another thing".

He said that "the Abu Sayyaf did not have any intention to harm the hostages at any point, or any circumstance", adding that the only danger was the military operations against them.

Provincial governor Abdusakur Tan earlier said five of the journalists reported missing on Saturday had returned and that the authorities were not immediately worried about the rest. Meanwhile, a Malaysian hostage, in a letter to his ambassador in Manila, has urged the Philippines to pull back its troops in the area.

Mr Zulkarnain Hashim also sought to smooth negotiations for the hostages' safe release. -- AFP, Bernama --Straits Times

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May 15, 2000, AFP, Journalists must stay away from Philippine kidnappers: France, Germany,

PARIS, May 15 (AFP) - 0:48 - The French and German governments urged journalists on Monday to stay away from the rebel Muslim group holding 21 hostages in the Philippines, fearing that giving the kidnappers a platform for their views could prolong the three-week crisis.

Over the past few days, several teams of journalists have reached the jungle camp on the southern island of Jolo, where 21 hostages, including 10 foreign tourists, were being held for the 23rd day by the Abu Sayyaf rebels.

The group -- two French nationals, three Germans, two Finns, two South
Africans, two Filipinos, a Lebanese and nine Malaysians -- were snatched from the Malaysian resort of Sipadan on April 23 and taken to Jolo.

A team from French television channel TF1 reached the camp and their interview with one of the French hostages, Sonia Wendling, was broadcast on Sunday.

A separate group of nine correspondents from foreign media said they had been held for a short time by the kidnappers after reaching the camp but were due back in the town of Jolo on Tuesday.

A team of local Filipino journalists have also tried to interview the heavily-armed kidnappers.

As the Philippine government told the guerrillas to put their demands in writing in preparation for lengthy talks due to start Tuesday, the French foreign ministry warned that the media reports could hamper the negotiations.

"The growing number of reports on the hostages is worrying," the ministry said in a statement.

"The need to get information is understandable. But giving the hostage-takers a platform to air their views could have negative consequences ... and complicate the task of those trying to win their freedom," it said.

"In this extremely delicate situation the only objective should be securing the release of the hostages alive and well. The foreign ministry calls on everyone to assume their responsibilities," it said.

The German foreign ministry called on journalists to show "responsibility and reflection" in their reporting, "and take into account at all times the well-being and interests of the hostages and their families."

Berlin also issued a joint warning with the French foreign ministry to people not to travel to the region of West Mindanao and Jolo in particular.

Germans already in the area were advised to show the "greatest caution" and to leave immediately.

The European neighbours also fear for the safety of the journalists.

Apart from the danger of kidnap by the rebels, diplomats fear what they term an "accident" in the highly-charged atmosphere as the international community keeps up pressure on the Philippine government to resist ordering the army to storm the kidnappers' camp.

At least 60 journalists have gathered on Jolo to cover the crisis and police have turned back dozens of journalists who tried to find a way through a government land and sea cordon to reach the Abu Sayyaf hideout. --AFP

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May 15 , 2000, Bernama, Family members try to comfort hostages on radio, by Abdul Muin Abdul Majid,
20:21PM

JOLO, Sulu, May 15 (Bernama) -- Recorded messages from family members of several Malaysians and a friend of a Finn abducted from Sipadan island last month were aired over a local radio station in Zamboanga City, Monday.

They were hopeful that the victims, currently held on this island of Sulu in the southern Phlippines, would be freed soon.

Speaking in Malay, English, Kadazan and Hakka, they sounded calm and composed, but portrayed the agony that they are going through.

Siti Hajar, the wife of Sabah wildlife ranger Zulkarnian Hashim, hoped that her husband would be patient in facing the predicament he is in.

"The children and I are alright, don't worry. Mom, dad and the family pray that you are in good condition...hopefully we'll meet again soon," she said.

Speaking in Hakka, Ken Fong Yin's mother (name not given) told her son that the most important thing was for him to take care of himself.

She said all his family members were happy to see him on television.

She was probably referring to footage made by television crew which had been allowed into the jungle hideout of the kidnappers.

She said: "We know you are in good condition and safe and that's why we feel comfortable now.

You don't need to worry about us ... I believe you will be back in Sabah to see us soon," she said in the message which was translated into English by a Malaysian journalist convering the crisis.

Ken's brother (no name given) said there was no need for him to worry about his family. Ken ia a worker of Pulau Sipadan Resort.

Francis Masungkim's wife, Nelen, advising her husband, also a Sabah wildlief ranger, to be patient and to keep his spirit up, said all his family members were in good health and praying for his safety and release.

Stephanie Soimbon, the wife of Balachandran Nair, also a wildlife ranger, also prayed for his safety and quick return to his family.

"I and the children are fine. The uncles, brothers and sisters always come to the house," she said.

Salmah, believed to be one of their relatives, said: "I hope you return as soon as possible and don't worry, we'll look after Stephanie and your baby."

Don Ivor, a colleague of Finnish hostage Mirco Johanen Rista, said everybody, including politicians and international organisations, were doing their best to release Rista.

"I hope you get this message. I hope you keep your spirit up, yours as well as the other hostages," he said.

He urged the Finns to keep on fighting and expressed confidence that the matter would be resolved soon. Besides Rista, the other Finn taken hostage is a woman, Johan Franti Seppo.

Ivor said their customers were calling daily to express their concern and to give them words of encouragement.

Besides the nine Malaysians and two Finns, the other hostages taken from Sipadan island on the night of April 23 by a group of armed men, later confirmed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf movement from southern Philippines, are three Germans, two French, two South Africans, two Filipinos and a Lebanese.

Meanwhile, in TAWAU, Zulkarnain's mother, Masnah Talib, expressed the hope that the Philippine government would consider apeals to withdraw its troops so that negotiations for the hostages' release could proceed.

She also hoped that the Philippine government would compromise and resolve the issue amicably, she said when met by Bernama at her house.

Yesterday, in a letter addressed to Malaysian ambassador to the Philippines, Mohamed Arshad M.Hussain, and delivered by Philippines emissaries, Zulkarnain and the other eight Malaysian captives urged the Malaysian government to get the Philippine military to pull back its troops so that talks the hostages' release could start.

Referred to the letter, Masnah said two police personnel showed her a copy of the letter yesterday and asked her to confirm Zulkarnain's handwriting and signature, which she did. -- BERNAMA

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