It is very disappointing that the government has made virtually no efforts to set free four Korean sailors, who have been held by Somali pirates for 157 days. The Korean nationals and 20 other Asians were taken hostage with their two fishing boats were hijacked by the pirates off the coast of the African country. It marks the longest period of hostage taking of South Koreans by foreign criminals or terrorist organizations.
It was heartbreaking to see the wife of a fisherman weeping on a TV program while conveying the contents of a telephone conversation she had with her husband. ``You must remain strong despite my absence for our children,'' the sailor was quoted as having said. The captives were said to be living like animals without having access to proper food.
The pirates beat the sailors frequently with steel pipes and their violence becomes ever tougher especially after they take leave called ``khat.'' Some crewmembers have damaged teeth while the others have split eardrums. Han Suk-ho, the skipper of one of the hijacked ships, told Yonhap New Agency that many of the hostages are suffering from fever and malaria without any medicine. ``We are out of food, so we keep ourselves alive on the rice they give. The rice is mixed with stones and sand. It isn't suitable even for animals,'' Yonhap quoted Han as saying.
Despite this, the government has failed to make appropriate efforts to gain the release of the sailors, although as of early August, it said there had been considerable progress in its bid to free them.
The pirates have been demanding a ransom of $700,000, a huge amount of money that the families of the sailors cannot afford. The ships owner, who has been engaged in direct negotiations with the pirates, has also appealed for support from the government as he cannot pay the money. But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has maintained that it will not directly negotiate with the kidnappers as it will create an undesirable precedence.
Such an attitude has to be compared with the one seen in the process of releasing a group of Christian aid workers held by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Korean officials including even chief of intelligence agency rolled up their sleeves to save them. The government has changed its stance since the Taliban confessed during an interview with a British newspaper that they received $10 million from Korea in return for releasing the hostages.
Trade unions and civic organizations have embarked on campaign to save the fishermen. They visited the National Assembly to call for efforts toward that end and plan to raise the money. Now is the time for the government to take more proactive steps.