The " Hostage " dilemma !

A new threat has emerged for Australians living overseas or taking a holiday in countries with a restive insurgency demanding the formation of a Muslim state.   The risk of being kidnapped and held for ransom.

Such is the situation for  Warren Richard Rodwell.   This Australian and his Philippino wife ran a shop in Mindanao and has now been a captive of  Abu Sayyaf for more than a year.  His captors recently posted a picture on YouTube showing him with a current daily newspaper to deliver a " proof of life " message.  They initially demanded a ransom of two million Australian dollars, but this has now been substantially reduced.

This man is in great peril.   Abu Sayyaf is a terrorist group with a long history of financing their activities from the proceeds of kidnapping for ransom.  When demands are paid, victims are usually safely released, but when their demands are not met the victim is usually summarily executed.   In a statement on YouTube, Rodwell says he has lost hope - and trusts neither Abu Sayyaf or the Australian government.

It is a fact of life that the position taken by Australia is that it does not pay ransoms for the release of it's citizens.   This throws the onus back onto friends and family of the victim, and the outcome then depends on whether the friends and family have the resources to raise the money.  It also helps if the victim is an attractive woman or a celebrity well known to the media.   The worst possible scenario - a victim who is a " nobody " with no rich friends or supporting media interests.

Australia's Foreign minister reiterates the Australian position of not paying ransoms and passes the rescue buck back to the government of the Philippines.   It is a sad fact of life that military rescue attempts of hostages have had a sorry history of failure.  In many cases they have developed into a fire fight in which the hostages have been killed.

It seems that Abu Sayyaf have taken a more reasonable stance on their demands.   They have dropped that ridiculous two million dollar tag down to somewhere near twenty thousand dollars and with a bit of serious renegotiation's it might drop even further.   It all depends on whether Rodwell's wife can raise any sort of money, and whether he has family and friends in Australia who are able - and prepared - to help.

So - Australians thinking of taking an overseas holiday need to asses the risks of wherever their travels will take them.    Do not expect the Australian government to come to the party with ransom money if you are kidnapped, and it would be wise to sound out family and friends attitudes before you leave.

The fact that Warren Rodwell's situation has hit the pages of the Australian media may change his situation.   There is a possibility that a " white knight " may emerge or public subscription may raise the ransom money.  If he is released, it will certainly be a newsworthy event and we will hear about it.

If nothing else, this tragic case should make Australian travellers think long and hard before venturing into places where kidnapping for ransom is even a possibility !