HOSTAGE PREGNANCY REPORT "WAS FAKE"
According to a Philippine
report, news of the South African's condition was made up by French journalists to protect
her from sexual abuse or rape
JOLO -- A South African
hostage, being held by Abu Sayyaf rebels in the jungle in the southern Philippines, did
not suffer a miscarriage as reported by the rebels last week.
The news of Mrs Monique
Strydom's ""pregnancy'' was contrived and spread by foreign journalists to
protect her from possible rape or sexual molestation at the hands of her captors, the
Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.
Several French journalists
conspired to spread rumours of the ""pregnancy'' and kept the truth from the
rebels.
But now it appears that the
rebels have used the news of the ""miscarriage'' as a way to pressure Manila and
other foreign governments into meeting their demands.
It is unclear whether the
rebels believed Mrs Strydom was pregnant and had a miscarriage or whether they knew she
was not and were using the rumours to increase the political pressure.
The report said that even Dr
Nelsa Amin, the government physician who has periodically visited the hostages, was let in
on the conspiracy.
Galib Andang, one of the
leaders of the Abu Sayyaf, said on Friday that medical supplies for the foreign hostages
were being stopped and Mrs Strydom ""had to just treat herself''.
In South Africa, the government
said on Saturday it received the apparently erroneous news of the miscarriage with
""great distress'', and again urged a speedy resolution of hostage crisis.
South African Foreign Minister
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said the government ""has learnt with great distress that
Monique Strydom... has suffered the loss of her unborn child''.
A South African Foreign
Ministry statement issued in Pretoria said: ""It is the minister's wish that
negotiations with the abductors could be expedited to ensure an amicable resolution of the
crisis resulting in the early release of all hostages.''
Meanwhile, Andang said the
hostage-taking had served one of the Abu Sayyaf's purposes.
""It was a deliberate
act so we would be recognised and we have attained that objective,'' he said. --Philippine
Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network
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