[211112.EN.SEA] Pirates Take Ransom, But Hold Hostages Till Jailed Comrades Released

SOMALI pirates are continuing to hold hostages - six Indian officers and one seaman from the tanker, MT Asphalt Venture - after more than two years of captivity, until they have their own men released from Indian jails.

Eight hostages and the ship were released in April 2011 following payment of the ransom but seven were withheld pending the release of convicted Somali pirates held in India.

The tanker was hijacked off the coast of Dar es Salaam in the Indian Ocean in September 2010 on route to South Africa from Kenya. OMCI Shipmanagement, the tanker's Mumbai-based manager, has attempted to persuade the pirates to release of the remaining crew members by appointing a third-party expert negotiator.

Alastair Evitt, chairman of SOS SaveOurSeafarers, said: "We support OMCI Ship management's stance that these pirates should honour the ransom deal they negotiated and immediately release the remaining Indian hostages.

"The management company and insurers have kept their side of the agreement and are powerless to do any more. We believe that no government is likely to submit to this sort of blackmail, that bowing to such pressure and releasing lawfully convicted prisoners in order to secure the freedom of these hostages would set a catastrophic precedent and could open the floodgates to an upsurge of criminal hostage-taking.

"Our campaign's aim is to eradicate Somali piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. We believe this can be done in a number of ways: increasing the strength of naval forces patrolling the Gulf of Aden and Western Indian Ocean; ensuring that pirates will face trial when captured and seeking a sustainable political solution to the underlying problems in Somalia."

A video film highlighting the hostages' plight has been released in an attempt to secure their release by making the Indian Government and the rest of the world aware of the extent of their plight at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0odIFfdo_Q&feature=em-share_video_user

According to the International Maritime Bureau, Somali pirates have hijacked 212 seafarers and 13 ships this year, with another 58 attempted attacks. To date, 171 seafarers are being held hostage by Somali pirates, including four merchant vessels with 88 crew members, seven fishing boats/dhows with 54 crew members, and 29 seafarers held ashore with no ships.

Source : HKSG.