LIBYA: FOUR EUROPEANS FREED FROM PHILIPPINE MOSLEMS REBELS WITH LIBYAN HELP ARE HANDED BACK TO THEIR FOREIGN MINISTERS AT CEREMONY IN TRIPOLI
Record ID:
647930
LIBYA: FOUR EUROPEANS FREED FROM PHILIPPINE MOSLEMS REBELS WITH LIBYAN HELP ARE HANDED BACK TO THEIR FOREIGN MINISTERS AT CEREMONY IN TRIPOLI
- Title: LIBYA: FOUR EUROPEANS FREED FROM PHILIPPINE MOSLEMS REBELS WITH LIBYAN HELP ARE HANDED BACK TO THEIR FOREIGN MINISTERS AT CEREMONY IN TRIPOLI
- Date: 12th September 2000
- Summary: TRIPOLI, LIBYA (SEPTEMBER 12, 2000) (REUTERS) 1. LV: EXTERIOR CEREMONY IN GREEN SQUARE 0.08 2. SV: FINNISH FOREIGN MINISTER ERKKI TUOMIOJA ENTERS (WHITE HAIR BLUE SUIT) 0.15 3. MV: FINNISH HOSTAGE RISTO VAHANEN OUT OF CAR 0.18 4. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) FINNISH HOSTAGE RISTO VAHANEN (TALKING ABOUT THE ALLEGATION THAT MOSLEM REBELS RAPED WOMAN HOSTAGE) SAYING: "I don't know where that came from in Zamboanga, that came up from somewhere but I don't have anything I could state" 0.30 5. MV: MEDIA 0.35 6. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) GERMAN HOSTAGE MARC WALLERT SAYING: "I haven't seen actually any sexual harassment but I know these people are capable of doing it" 0.41 7. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH HOSTAGE STEPHANE LOISY SAYING: "No there was no rape. In the early days, within the first month, women were subjected to a few assaults, particularly when they were on their own. But they (the rebels) themselves are strongly opposed to such acts. Sonia had a problem with an Abu Sayyaf, as she was sitting down, and he came from behind her to do that" 1.08 8. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN HOSTAGE MARC WALLERT SAYING: same as above 1.29 9. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIBYAN NEGOTIATOR RAJAB AZZAROUK BEING ASKED IF PHILIPPINES FORCES ARE GETTING PREPARED TO ASSAULT MOSLEM REBEL POSITIONS: "I have no confirmation of that.. maybe later" 1.40 10. SV: LIBYAN PRESIDENT GADDAFI'S SON SAIF AL-ISLAM SHAKING HAND WITH RISTO VAHANEN 1.47 11. SV: SAIF AL-ISLAM SHAKING HAND WITH MARC WALLERT 1.52 12. MV: HOSTAGES SITTING DOWN AT CEREMONY WITH ERKKI TUOMIOJA (LEFT), SAIF AL-ISLAM (WHITE) 1.56 13. SCU: SAIF AL-ISLAM 2.00 14. SV: RISTO VAHANEN HOSTAGE SITTING DOWN 2.04 15. SV: STEPHANE LOISY SITTING DOWN 2.10 16. MV: ERKKI TUOMIOJA AT PODIUM (MUTE) 2.15 17. SCU: TUOMIOJA ON PODIUM (MUTE) 2.17 18. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English with Arabic translation) GERMAN ENVOY DEPUTY MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS LUDGER VOLLUER ADDRESSING CEREMONY SAYING: "let us pause for a moment. Let us thank all those who have contributed to your safety and your release." 2.27 19. WS: CEREMONY 2.32 20. CU: (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH ENVOY LECARTIER LISTENING: "We share the joy of all those and all the families of those who very fortunately were, until now, freed." 2.43 21. MV: LECARTIER AT PODIUM 2.46 22. SV: (SOUNDBITE) (English) RISTO VAHANEN ON PODIUM SAYING: "Nightmare in the midst of the jungle (Arabic translation) We were taken to the island of Jolo." 2.59 23. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) GADDAFI'S SON SAIF AL-ISLAM SAYING: "I have given instructions to my people to go with the negotiations to solve the problem (regarding the remaining French hostages), of course, its a commitment for us (About the American hostages:) Now we are concentrating on the previous people. It's a new case, we don't have enough information about it and its too early to speak about it." 3.38 24. SV: SAIF AL-ISLAM STANDING WITH HOSTAGES FOR PHOTOGRAPH 3.45 25. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SAIF AL-ISLAM SPEAKING IN ARABIC 4.05 26. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) RISTO VAHANEN TALKING ABOUT DRAWINGS THEY DID IN CAPTIVITY:"..When hope was down, but because of Mr Azzarouk gave us (SHOWS DRAWINGS) 4.20 27. SV: SAIF AL-ISLAM HOLDS DRAWINGS UP 4.30 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 27th September 2000 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: TRIPOLI, LIBYA
- Country: Libya
- Reuters ID: LVA7Z64Y545M7YI3JJI3HP11ZVSY
- Story Text: Foreign ministers representing the Europeans freed
from captivity in the Philippines said they were grateful no
military action had been taken in an attempt to release them
and that their thoughts were with those who are still held
hostage.
They spoke at a special ceremony for the released captives
amidst a new hostage seizure which is pushing the Philippines
government to the brink of an all out assault on the Moslem
rebels.
Libyan authorities on Tuesday (September 12) handed
over to representatives of their governments four Europeans
freed after nearly five months of captivity by rebels in the
Philippines.
Finland's Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja has come to
Libya to return the two released Finn hostages, Risto Vahanen
and Seppo Franti. The other released captives are German Marc
Wallert and Frenchman Stephane Loisy.
As they arrived at Tripoli's 'Green Square', the hostages
were asked about allegations that the Moslem rebels had raped
a female hostage.
Finn hostage Risto Vahanen said he did not know where the
information had come from.
"I don't know where that came from in Zamboanga, that came
up from somewhere but I don't have anything I could state,"
Vahanen said.
German hostage Marc Wallert said he could well imagine the
rebels doing such a thing but that he had not been a witness
to it himself.
"I haven't seen actually any sexual harassment but I know
these people are capable of doing it," said Wallert.
"No there was no rape. In the early days, within the first
month, women were subjected to a few assaults, particularly
when they were on their own. But they (the rebels) themselves
are strongly opposed to such acts. Sonia had a problem with an
Abu Sayyaf, as she was sitting down, and he came from behind
her to do that," said French hostage Stephane Loisy.
Finns Risto Vahanen and Seppo Franti were released on
Saturday with two other Europeans. They were among 21 people
kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf guerrillas on April 23. All but
one Filipino, a resort worker, have been freed.
But other foreigners, including French journalists
Jean-Jacques Le Garrec and Roland Madura, have recently been
taken hostage by the rebels. An American is also being held
captive.
Increasingly angered by such actions the Philippines armed
forces have said they are ready to raid the rebel positions in
Jolo if politicians ask them to.
But Libyan negotiator Rajab Azzarouk refused to comment.
During the ceremony, Tuomioja praised Libya for helping
secure the release of hostages. He also said his heart was
with the remaining hostages.
Tuomioja also thanked the Gaddafi International
Association for Charitable Organisations for its help in the
release of the hostages, kidnapped by rebels from the
Malaysian island resort of Sipadan and held on the southern
Philippines island of Jolo.
German Deputy Foreign Minister Ludger Volluer also thanked
the Libyan negotiator, Rajab Azzarouk and the Libyan
government for the successful outcome.
"Let us pause for a moment. Let us thank all those who
have contributed to your safety and your release," Volluer
said.
French envoy, Lecartier, was also grateful.
"We share the joy of all those and all the families of
those who very fortunately were, until now, freed," Lecartier
said.
Vahanen said he and his fellow captives had come to what
they thought was a paradise island and but that the rebels had
locked in a nightmare in Jolo instead.
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's son, Saif Al-islam said he
was concerned about the French hostages now in the hands of
the rebels. But he added that he did not wish to comment on
the latest hostage situation. He said the Gaddafi
International Association for Charitable Organisations was
still concentrating on helping the captives from the previous
hostage crisis.
"I have given instructions to my people to go with the
negotiations to solve the problem (regarding the remaining
French hostages), of course, its a commitment for us (About
the American hostages:) Now we are concentrating on the
previous people. Its a new case, we don't have enough
information about it and its too early to speak about it,"
Saif Al-Islam said.
Vahanen also handed some drawings which the hostages had
drawn. He said Azzarouk had brought them hope and wanted Saif
Al-Islam, who chairs the Gaddafi International Association for
Charitable Organisations which helped in their release, to
have the drawings.
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