Jakarta Globe, Ismira Lutfia | April 10, 2011
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The captain of MV Sinar Kudus has pleaded to the Indonesian government to help him and his 20 Indonesian crew, who have been held hostage by Somali pirates for three weeks.
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| Captain Slamet from MV Sinar Kudus cargo ship. Slamet and his 20 crews are still being held hostage by Somali pirates. (Photo Source Metro TV) |
In a telephone conversation with Metro TV on Sunday, Capt. Slamet Jauhari said he was in good health, but twelve of his crews were ill.
“There is no clean water, we are only fed once a day, and twelve of my crew are mentally crushed. To the Indonesian government, please rescue us,” Slamet said.
The 21 men were taken hostage on March 16 after Somali pirates ambushed their vessel, carrying 8,300 tons of nickel produced by PT Aneka Tamabang, in the Gulf of Aden, Somalia, en route to Amsterdam.
Slamet said the pirates were demanding $2.5 million in ransom and that they had threaten to raise the amount unless they received confirmation from the ship's owner or the Indonesian government that the money would be paid.
“I am asking the Indonesian government, Bapak SBY [President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono] or any businessman who has the money, please save my crew,” Slamet said.
Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said on Saturday that efforts were underway to secure the release of the Indonesian hostages.
"The Indonesian government is deeply concerned with this situation and we are investigating options to settle this problem as soon as possible," Marty said on the sidelines of a meeting between Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
He said that the ship’s owner had been in constant communications with the pirates.
Marty declined to comment further on the efforts as he did not want to jeopardize the hostage's lives.
"For the moment we are working on their release and efforts to protect them are ongoing," he said.
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