HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES NEGOTIATE RELEASE, RETURN HOSTAGES HOME|遭囚逾4年獲釋 26人質抵肯亞.將轉機返國

On Oct 23, the 26 fishermen who were held as hostages by Somali pirates for over four years landed in Kenya's capital Nairobi. Accompanied by a UN humanitarian team they prepared to return home. The Taiwanese captain Shen Jui-chang and a Chinese fisherman will first go to Guangzhou. Shen will then return to Taiwan. The fishermen were hugged by officials come to welcome them, as they got off the plane in Nairobi. They were from Taiwan, China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam. John Steed is a retired British army colonel. He once worked in the UN anti-piracy unit. From 2013, he has been in negotiations with Somali pirates hoping to release this group of forgotten hostages. ==JOHN STEED Hostage Support Partners coordinator== We've achieved what we've achieved today by getting tribal elders, religious leaders and local communities and the regional government, all involved to put pressure on these guys to release these hostages. Four and a half years is unreasonable-- it is just not right. This rescue took 18 months of negotiations. The group look malnourished, one has a gunshot wound to the leg, one has diabetes and another had a stroke. Another Taiwanese, the captain, Chung Wei-der died when the boat was hijacked. Two Chinese and an Indonesian died from illness during their captivity. ==JOHN STEED Hostage Support Partners coordinator== It's a very happy day for the UN and for Oceans Beyond Piracy to collect these 26 seafarers who have been held hostage for over 4 and a half years. We are very grateful for the support of Sheik Abdewelli and the Police Commissioner and my friend Sayed. The men will all fly to Guangzhou and from there, disperse to their home countries. TRANSLATED BY：CLARE LEAR 獲釋的漁工一出機場，熱情擁抱前來迎接他們的官員；他們是26名被索馬利亞海盜，關押四年半的亞洲漁工。分別有來自台灣的輪機長沈瑞章、還有中國、柬埔寨、印尼、菲律賓和越南的漁工。負責協助談判的史迪德，是英國退役陸軍上校，曾經擔任聯合國反海盜單位主管；2013年開始，和索馬利亞海盜談判，希望能拯救這群被遺忘的人質。 ==人質支援夥伴組織協調員 史迪德== 透過對當地長老 宗教領袖 當地社區 還有地方政府施壓 我們才達成今天的成果 讓這些人質獲釋 綁架4年半是不合理也不對的 這一次的救援行動，花費18個月時間談判，人質才終於成功獲釋；不過船員們看起來營養不良，有人腳上有槍傷，還有糖尿病、甚至中風。台籍船長鍾徽德在第一時間就遇害，另外還有兩名中國和印尼籍船員，也在囚禁過程病故身亡。 ==人質支援夥伴組織協調員 史迪德== 今天對於聯合國和 人質支持夥伴組織來說 是值得慶賀的一天 因為我們救出26名 遭綁架4年半的漁工 對於幫助過我們的前索馬利亞總理 警察局長和許多朋友 我們致上誠摯的感謝 結束了四年半的驚魂，26位船員先由聯合國人道救援班機，送抵肯亞首都奈洛比後，轉往中國廣州，再由各國政府帶回。 記者 鄭惟仁 報導