VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Good news finally came to Indonesia Friday night (19/01/2018), when two citizens , La Utu and La Hadi, fishermen from Wakatobiwho were abducted by the Abu Sayyaf group in Kertamwaters, Sabah, Malaysia, November 5, 2016 , were finally released. Currently, both are in Zamboanga city for a medical check up, before being sent home. Director of Indonesian Citizens Protection and Legal Aid, Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, when interviewed by RRI on Saturday (20/02/2018) ensured that in the process of freeing the two fishermen, there was no payment of ransom to Abu Sayyaf group .

"The government has never negotiated with the hostage taker, because it means negotiating with the criminals. So, we put forward the role of the family and we accompanied the family, " Lalu Muhammad Iqbal said.

Muhammad Iqbal added that the release of the two fishermen who were brought to the waters of Sulu, the southern Philippines, was the result of intensive negotiations on the part of the families with the hostage takers that ran for almost 14 years. Meanwhile, both La Utu and La Hadi were declared in good condition. Lalu Muhammad Iqbal said that, in addition to medical examinations, the process fortrauma healing was also focused on them., before eventually being repatriated. Meanwhile, Iqbal stated that the Indonesian government is currently still working hard for the release of three other Indonesians kidnapped by different groups of hostage takers in the waters of Taganak Islands, Sabah, Malaysia, on January 18, 2017 and currently are being held hostage in Sulu waters, Southern Philippines. // Retno-Mar