REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, NEW DELHI -- Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said here on Monday that all Indonesian crew members of TB Charles have been released. The minister announced the release of two TB Charles crew members at The Leela Palace Hotel in New Delhi after he accompanied President Joko Widodo meeting with India's vice president Mohammad Hamid Ansari. "The two Indonesian TB Charles crew members were successfully released on December 12," she disclosed.

The crew members were Robin Peter from Samarinda and Muhammad Sofyan from South Sulawesi, she added. The minister informed that the two would be handed over on Tuesday in Zambianga City by the Wesmincom Commander of Zambianga City to Indonesian ambassador to Manila or the Indonesian consul general in Davao City. "With the release of these two citizens, all crew members of TB Charles who were abducted on June 20, 2016 have been released," she underlined.

She reminded that on August 7, two Indonesian citizens held hostage by Abu Sayyaf were also released. "I have already communicated with our contact person in the Philippines in Manila as well as those working in the field. Our team will tomorrow start taking all legal steps required for the handing over of the released persons at Wesmincom to the Indonesian government," she commented.

Retno pointed out that the government adopted multiple strategies to secure the release of these hostages. "I think our answer to all questions will always be the same: we made all efforts possible," she stressed.

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