Sayyafs free Malaysian fish merchant after 17 months in captivity

From the Mindanao Examiner Blog site (Mar 21): Sayyafs free Malaysian fish merchant after 17 months in captivity

Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants have freed a Malaysian fish merchant they seized 17 months ago in Tawi-Tawi province in the southern Philippines, reports said on Thursday.

The 48-year old Pang Choon Pong, a native of Sandakan in Sabah Island, has returned to his family, the Malaysia’s online newspaper The Star said.

Malaysian officials negotiated for Pang’s safe release in Sulu province where he was taken following his kidnapping in October 5, 2011 in Tawi-Tawi province.

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said the release was secured through careful and tireless negotiations with the kidnappers. “We empathise with the family and the trauma they must have gone through. As such we decided to intervene and assist in securing Pang's release,” he said.

The report quoted the Chief Minister as saying that the family should thank Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for his concern over the plight of Pang and his family.

“As you can see the leaders of the day are those who listen and reach out to the people regardless of race and religious background,” he said.

Following his release, Pang was flown to Kuala Lumpur before heading to Kota Kinabalu on Thursday, where he reunited with his family members at the Chief Minister's official Seri Gaya residence.

“I am very thankful to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, our Chief Minister and all the leaders who helped reunite me with my family,” Pang said, adding “I have been away for so long and am just happy to see my family.”

The report said among those who welcomed Pang at Seri Gaya were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yee Moh Chai, Industrial Development Minister Datuk Raymond Tan and Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Department, Datuk Edward Khoo, as well as Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber of Commerce President, Datuk Michael Lui.

Pang was seized by five gunmen in the village of Larap on Sitangkai Island. The Philippine military also linked Pang’s Filipino trading partner to the kidnapping.

Senior Superintendent Antonio Freyra, the Sulu police chief, said the Abu Sayyaf is still holding a Japanese treasure hunter, Toshio Ito, 66, since 2010 and was last reported to have been helping the rebel group in cooking food for them and freely moves around.

He said aside from the Japanese, the Abu Sayyaf is also holding Jordanian journalist Baker Atyani, 43, who went to Sulu province along with two Filipino assistants in June 2012 to secretly film the Abu Sayyaf for a documentary on Al Arabiya News Channel. The Filipinos were both freed this year.

Prior to his detention, Atyani has had previously travelled to the province in secrecy to interview terrorist leaders, the Philippine military said.

The military has previously said it would arrest Atyani for espionage should he be released by the Abu Sayyaf. Atyani had also clandestinely interviewed Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden before the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

Freyra said two European wildlife photographers Ewold Horn, 52, from Holland; and Lorenzo Vinciguerre, 47, from Switzerland, kidnapped in February 2012 in Tawi-Tawi province had been brought to Sulu. Police in Tawi-Tawi said the duo was allegedly seized by members of the Moro National Liberation Front.

http://mindanaoexaminer.blogspot.com/2013/03/sayyafs-free-malaysian-fish-merchant.html