Security Minister Confirms Three Indonesians Abducted by Abu Sayyaf Group

Jakarta, (Antara)- Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan confirmed that three Indonesians had been taken hostage by members of the Abu Sayyaf group.

The Indonesian government had constantly kept itself abreast of the latest developments and had coordinated with its Malaysian counterpart, he noted here, Monday.

The three Indonesian citizens hailing from East Nusa Tenggara Province, who were abducted by the armed group in Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia, were crew members working for a Malaysian employer, Chia Tong Lim.

The Indonesians were catching fish with four other crew members when they were held at gunpoint by the abductors.

Their employer reported the incident to the police in Sabah, his state, on Sunday.

The three hostages are 34-year-old Lorence Koten, 42-year-old Teodorus Kopong, and 40-year-old Emanuel.

Minister Pandjaitan affirmed that Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines had agreed to deploy military personnel to guard cargo vessels sailing to and from the Philippines.

"It has been agreed that there will be escorts in future," he emphasized.

The government, however, is also evaluating an option to deploy personnel of the Indonesian Defense Forces to free the hostages directly.(*)