Author: Reuters
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: October 16, 2001
Muslim rebels in the Philippines
put a captive US missionary -on' the telephone to a radio station on Monday
for the first time - and then threatened to kill him and his wife, if attacked.
The Abu Sayyaf rebels, who have
been linked to Osama bin Laden and have already killed one of three Americans
they seized at a Philippine beach resort in May, said the Philippine military
should call off its pursuit of them.
"I am always tied or locked, I'm
always in the centre of the group," missionary Martin Burnham, who was
kidnapped along with his wife Gracia, told the radio station, his voice
quavering. "I'm always chained so I cannot escape. I am very tired, weak
and frightened."
Burnham said his wife, like him
an American, was also weak and tired as the guerrillas and the hostages
fled pursuing troops in the mountainous jungles of southern Basilan Island.
It was the first time the Abu Sayyaf
rebels, who say they are fighting for an Islamic state in the predominantly
Roman Catholic Philippines, have allowed either of the Burnhams to speak
to a radio station. Abu Sabaya, the rebel spokesman, told the radio station
they could kill the missionaries if the government tried to rescue the
couple by force.
"In a rescue operation, we might
release the Filipino hostages since they don't mean anything to us," he
said. "The two Americans... they might be executed being released."
Abu Sabaya echoed language used
by bin Laden, "As we have said before, we did this because they (the United
States) are supporting Israel in oppressing the Palestinians," he said.
"No Americans are safe unless this
problem is solved."
The couple, who work for the US-based
New Tribes Mission and are from Wichita, Kansas, were kidnapped along with
another American and 17 Filipinos from a beach resort in the western Philippines
on May 27.
The guerrillas then brought the
hostages to their stronghold on Muslim-dominated Basilan, 900 lean (560
miles), south of Manila. There they beheaded Californian tourist Guillermo
Sobero and some of he Filipinos.
Others were released in exchange
for ransom, but the guerrillas also kidnapped more local hostages.
Asked about negotiations, Abu Sabaya
said it depended on the government. Media reports say the rebels are demanding
$2 million for the release of the hostages.
Presidential spokesman Rigoberto
Tiglao told reporters the channels for negotiation were open but military
spokesman General Edilberto Adan said the Military would not stop its offensive.
"We have them cornered and their
end is near, under no conditions are we going to stop our military operations,"
he told a radio station.
