6:21 PM |
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Media Release - For Immediate Release
Saturday - June 6 - 2009
BRISBANE TUVALU COMMUNITY PLEADS FOR HELP FOR HOSTAGES
The Brisbane Tuvaluan community has pleaded with the Australian
Government to assist twelve seafarers being held by Somali pirates.
"These sailors are our uncles, brothers, or cousins," President of the
Queensland Tuvalu Community, Tapaeko Apasai, said.
"The plight of these sea farers weighs on our people's hearts," Mr
Apasai said. "Our men crew cargo boats all over the world, and send
valuable remittances home to their families. We never imagined some of
them would be held hostage by pirates."
The sea farers, crewing the German registered freighter, the Hansa
Stavanger, were captured at the beginning of April. The pirates have
reportedly demanded a $US 15 million ransom. Between 400 and 600
Tuvaluan men are overseas crewing mostly German registered cargo boats.
"My cousin's one of the captured sea farers," Ms Mapusaga Fuamatagi
said. "I've been feeling so helpless and powerless worrying about my
cousin."
"We only find comfort in prayer for our relative's safety in this
terrible situation," Ms Fuamatagi said. "Tuvalu's a tiny, closely knit,
community. When even one of our people is suffering like this, we're all
suffering."
"Tuvalu's a small country and we can't afford to pay the ransom even if
we wanted to," Mr Apasai said. "We're pleading with the Australian
Government to do everything it can to help our sea farers."
"This is the worst thing to happen to Tuvalu since a terrible school
dormitory fire in 2000 killed 19 school girls," Brisbane academic, Dr
Mark Hayes, said. "In population impact terms, it's like 5,000
Australians being kidnapped by the Somali pirates. Tuvalu only has about
10,000 people living on its nine tiny islands."
Dr Hayes, a University of Queensland journalism lecturer, has visited
Tuvalu four times, and has many Tuvaluan friends, including the
relatives of some of the captured sea farers.
"We're a very quiet, very religious people," Mrs Aoga Kofe, whose cousin
is also being held hostage, said. "We're harmless. Our men folk being
held hostage are simply being held hostage for working hard to provide
for their families."
FOR NEWS EDITORS –
Mr Apasi, Ms Fuamatagi, and Mrs Kofe are available for interview –
Contact: 0416205096
Dr Mark Hayes has original vision of Tuvalu available – Contact: (07)
38703456 (h) (07) 33468255 (w)
Media Release - For Immediate Release
Saturday - June 6 - 2009
BRISBANE TUVALU COMMUNITY PLEADS FOR HELP FOR HOSTAGES
The Brisbane Tuvaluan community has pleaded with the Australian
Government to assist twelve seafarers being held by Somali pirates.
"These sailors are our uncles, brothers, or cousins," President of the
Queensland Tuvalu Community, Tapaeko Apasai, said.
"The plight of these sea farers weighs on our people's hearts," Mr
Apasai said. "Our men crew cargo boats all over the world, and send
valuable remittances home to their families. We never imagined some of
them would be held hostage by pirates."
The sea farers, crewing the German registered freighter, the Hansa
Stavanger, were captured at the beginning of April. The pirates have
reportedly demanded a $US 15 million ransom. Between 400 and 600
Tuvaluan men are overseas crewing mostly German registered cargo boats.
"My cousin's one of the captured sea farers," Ms Mapusaga Fuamatagi
said. "I've been feeling so helpless and powerless worrying about my
cousin."
"We only find comfort in prayer for our relative's safety in this
terrible situation," Ms Fuamatagi said. "Tuvalu's a tiny, closely knit,
community. When even one of our people is suffering like this, we're all
suffering."
"Tuvalu's a small country and we can't afford to pay the ransom even if
we wanted to," Mr Apasai said. "We're pleading with the Australian
Government to do everything it can to help our sea farers."
"This is the worst thing to happen to Tuvalu since a terrible school
dormitory fire in 2000 killed 19 school girls," Brisbane academic, Dr
Mark Hayes, said. "In population impact terms, it's like 5,000
Australians being kidnapped by the Somali pirates. Tuvalu only has about
10,000 people living on its nine tiny islands."
Dr Hayes, a University of Queensland journalism lecturer, has visited
Tuvalu four times, and has many Tuvaluan friends, including the
relatives of some of the captured sea farers.
"We're a very quiet, very religious people," Mrs Aoga Kofe, whose cousin
is also being held hostage, said. "We're harmless. Our men folk being
held hostage are simply being held hostage for working hard to provide
for their families."
FOR NEWS EDITORS –
Mr Apasi, Ms Fuamatagi, and Mrs Kofe are available for interview –
Contact: 0416205096
Dr Mark Hayes has original vision of Tuvalu available – Contact: (07)
38703456 (h) (07) 33468255 (w)
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