Hostage Takers Accused of Rape
By SARAH EL DEEB, Associated Press Writer
TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) - A plane
carrying four former hostages freed by Muslim rebels in the Philippines arrived Monday in
Tripoli, and one of them said their captors raped some of the female hostages.
Risto Vahanen, a Finn who was
among 21 captives held for 140 days in the Philippine jungle, told Finnish MTV3 in an
interview aired Monday that they were powerless to help the women.
``Some, a few, women there were
treated in an inappropriate manner,'' Vahanen said, and answered ``yes'' when asked if
they had been raped.
He said the raped women did not
want their names disclosed but wanted the incidents to be made public. ``They were of the
opinion that it had to be made public, without names, so that the world would know what
Robot had done,'' Vahanen said, referring to rebel leader Ghalib ``Robot'' Andang.
``It was quite surprising
because otherwise we were treated in a proper way,'' he said in the interview conducted
before leaving the Philippines.
The four former hostages'
arrival in Tripoli, which followed their release Saturday, came amid fears that fat Libyan
payoffs would only encourage more hostage taking.
Libya reportedly paid $1
million each to secure freedom for the German, Frenchman and two Finns, including Vahanen,
who flew Monday out of the Philippines after being held for months by the Abu Sayyef, the
smaller of two rebel groups fighting for an independent Muslim state in the southern part
of the country.
First to appear at the
aircraft's door was Libyan negotiator Rajab Azzarouq, who triumphantly waved to the dozens
of well-wishers and journalists waiting on the tarmac. The hostages followed, carrying
bouquets of flowers.
The hostages were quick to
praise Libya for securing their freedom.
``I think they have done a
really great job,'' Vahanen said. ``It may be possible that they've saved our lives.''
After showing the arrival of
the aircraft, Libyan state television began broadcasting patriotic songs over footage of
hostages and reporters inside the VIP lounge.
A day after the four hostages
were released Saturday, three men, all Malaysians, were abducted from near where Abu
Sayyaf rebels kidnapped 21 people, including the four Europeans, on April 23.
One Filipino resort worker
remains in captivity from the group captured in April. Two French television journalists,
seized when they visited the rebels' camp, are still being held by the Abu Sayyaf. The
guerrillas are also holding 12 Filipino Christian evangelists.
Another faction is holding
American Jeffrey Schilling.
Libyan officials have denied
ransom was paid, saying they instead secured the rebels' confidence by funding development
projects in the impoverished, heavily Muslim southern Philippines. But negotiators in the
Philippines said Libya paid $1 million ransom for each of the four released Saturday and
another $1 million each for six released late last month.
``Paying ransom ultimately
comes back to bite you,'' said Philippine presidential Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora.
The released hostages have
reported sudden signs of wealth in the rebel camp - new clothes, gold jewelry.
Negotiations for the remaining hostages have been suspended because of fighting among the
Abu Sayyaf factions, reportedly over the division of the ransom money.
``There was no payment with the
aim of encouraging the kidnappers to carry on more operations,'' Ali El Tureiki, Libya's
state minister of African affairs, told reporters in Tripoli this week. ``The agreement
was to do some projects to help the Muslims in the south Philippines, and the areas Libya
considers itself morally responsible for.''
Muslim Libya has long-standing
ties with Muslim rebels in the mostly Catholic Philippines. In addition to negotiating in
previous kidnappings, it has helped build schools and mosques in the south and has been
accused of training members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the larger Muslim rebel
group.
Despite the ransom concerns,
Libya was reaping diplomatic rewards for its efforts.
Libya, long accused of
sponsoring terrorism and meddling in the affairs of other countries, is working to end
years of international isolation. International sanctions were suspended last year when
Libya handed over for trial in the West two of its government officials accused in the
1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.
Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki
Tuomioja headed to the north African nation to participate in a welcome ceremony for the
hostages scheduled Tuesday. France and Germany were sending lower-ranking officials from
their foreign ministries, though diplomats in Tripoli said German Foreign Minister Joschka
Fischer, in New York on Monday for U.N. meetings, would try to reach Tripoli in time for
Tuesday's ceremony.
A similar ceremony held for the
six former hostages released last month was an anti-American affair, held at the ruins of
the house where Gadhafi's adopted daughter was killed in a 1986 U.S. bombing.
The freed hostages were Vahanen
and Seppo Franti of Finland; German Marc Wallert, whose parents were earlier released; and
Stephane Loisy of France.
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