YONHAP NEWS

(2nd LD) ARF foreign ministers urge release of S. Korean hostages

By Byun Duk-kun
MANILA, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministers of 26 countries participating in a major regional security forum here on Thursday strongly condemned the Taliban for killing two South Korean hostages in Afghanistan and called for the immediate release of 21 others still in captivity.

   "The foreign ministers of the participating countries of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) express our solidarity with the people and government of the Republic of Korea and condemn the hostage taking of their nationals in Afghanistan," the ministers said in a joint statement, referring to South Korea by its official name.

   They also deplored "in the strongest terms" the brutal murder of two hostages -- Bae Hyung-kyu, the 42-year-old leader of the group that was seized on July 19, and 29-year-old former IT worker Shim Sung-min.

   "We express the hope that the hostages and their families will find the strength to face this ordeal, while at the same time expressing the hope that they will soon be reunited," the statement said.

   The ARF is an extended forum of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which also attracts top diplomats from 16 other regional players, including South and North Korea, the United States, Japan, China, Russia, Australia and Canada.

   The statement was read by Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alberto Romulo, the chairman of the ARF, who earlier denounced the Afghan militants for taking the South Koreans hostage in a speech at the opening of the forum.

   Offering rare help to the South, a senior North Korean diplomat also called for the safe return of the South Korean hostages in Afghanistan.

   "It is the consistent stance of our Republic to oppose any type of terrorism. Also from the humanitarian point of view, we wish the kidnapped citizens of the South side would safely return at the earliest date possible," Jong Song-il, deputy director of international organizations bureau at the North's Foreign Ministry, told reporters here.

   North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chun also expressed condolences and support for the South Korean government and the families of the kidnapped South Koreans during a bilateral meeting with his South Korean counterpart Song Min-soon, the South Korean minister told reporters.

   The killing of the two South Korean hostages has apparently made some Muslim nations and organizations that had been sympathetic to the Taliban turn their backs on the group.

   Muhammadiyah, the largest Muslim movement in Indonesia with an estimated membership of more than 70 million, issued a statement in Jakarta on Thursday condemning the kidnapping.

   "We also believe that such acts are in violation of Islamic principles and teaching, and even undermine the image of Islam and Muslims around the world," a copy of the statement distributed by Indonesia's delegates to the ARF said.

   "Based on the principle of humanity, we appeal to the Taliban to immediately release the South Korean hostages unconditionally so that they can reunite with their families," it said.

   The special statements and wide support for South Korea comes amid Seoul's growing frustration in negotiations with the Taliban for the safe release of the remaining 21 hostages. The militant group is demanding the release of at least eight jailed Taliban militants, a demand South Korean officials say is not within Seoul's ability to grant.

   Kabul refuses to make a hostage-for-prisoner deal with the Taliban. It was criticized for freeing five Taliban prisoners in exchange for an Italian journalist taken hostage in March.

   The United States, which is said to hold the key to the hostage crisis, remains reluctant to make a deal with Taliban militants, whom it believes are linked to the international terrorist group Al-Qaeda.

   Washington and Seoul on Thursday agreed not to launch military operations to rescue the South Korean captives, South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said following a meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte on the sidelines of the ARF foreign ministerial talks.

   bdk@yna.co.kr
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