Yokyakarta (AsiaNews) – The governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have agreed to address the threats of piracy and terrorism in the South China Sea.
In a closed-door meeting held today in Yogyakarta (Central Java), senior officials from the three nations have decided to conduct joint maritime patrols to counter the escalation of violence and kidnappings by the Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf group.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, together with General Gatot Nurmantyo, hosted their Filipino and Malaysian counterparts.
According to Ms Marsudi, the discussions focused on "best practices" used successfully by Indonesia and Malaysia in the Straits of Malacca. “We are politically called to make these new arrangements in response to the new challenges in our regions,” she explained.
Three more three-party meetings are scheduled. “Basic standard operating procedures is expected to be finalised by the end of May,” General Nurmantyo said.
“The three military commanders from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have agreed to enhance joint cooperation involving the army, the navy and the air force," the general said.
On 26 March, Abu Sayyaf terrorists seized ten Indonesian sailors on board a cargo ship owned by the Patria Maritime Lines. The ship, which was carrying 7,000 tonnes of coal, was intercepted off the coast of Tawi-Tawi, Philippines.
On 1 May, the crew was released. It was unclear whether a ransom was paid or not. However, Filipino media said that a million dollars were paid out to the kidnappers, a claimed Indonesian authorities denied.
Indonesian Army General Kivlan Zen said that negotiations for the release were carried through Sakur Tan, governor of Sulu province (Philippines), and grandson of the founder of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), an Islamic separatist group that reached an agreement with Filipino authorities in the 1990s to create an autonomous Muslim region in Mindanao. A source confirmed this version of the events to AsiaNews.
Currently, Abu Sayyaf is still holding 11 foreign nationals: four Indonesians, four Malaysians, a Canadian, a Norwegian and a Dutch.
