Four Abducted Indonesians Returned Families

JAKARTA, Sept 29 (Antara) - After months of being held captive by the armed Abu Sayyaf group, four Indonesians have been returned to their families due to the efforts of the Foreign Ministry. The four Indonesians, identified as Lorens Lagadoni Koten, Teodorus Kopong Koten and Emanuel Arakian Maran of East Nusa Tenggara, and Herman Manggak of Sulawesi Selatan, were returned to their families by by Deputy Foreign Minister AM Fachir on Monday (Sept 26), the ministry said in a press statement released on Tuesday. "The four arrived in Indonesia on Saturday (Sept 24), accompanied by an official from the Foreign Ministry," the ministry's director of Indonesian citizens and legal entities protection (PWNI-BHI), Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, said. The Indonesians worked on a Malaysian fishing boat before being abducted by the separatist group in the southern Philippines. Lorens, Teodorus and Emanuel were kidnapped in Lahad Datu waters on July 9, while Herman Manggak was kidnapped in Sandakan waters on August 3. Iqbal said the entire process, from receiving Indonesians from the Philippine government to their handover to their families, was done according to their families' wishes. With the release of the four Indonesians, there remains five other Indonesians being held by the separatist group. "The government is making every effort to release the other five Indonesians," he said.