Millions demanded to free abducted Chinese tourist

Filipino kidnappers have demanded millions of dollars in ransom for the safe return of a Chinese woman abducted from a Malaysian tourist resort, a senior Malaysian official revealed.

Shanghai resident Gao Huayun, 29, was kidnapped at gunpoint on April 2 along with Filipino receptionist Marcy Dayawan at Singamata Reef Resort, near the town of Semporna in Malaysia's eastern state of Sabah.

Malaysian Home Minister Zahid Hamidi said a ransom of 500 million pesos ($11.3 million) was demanded for Gao's release, reported the Malay Mail Online. However, no demand for ransom was made for the Filipino resort worker.

"We have sent our team, the police and the negotiators to discuss through their so-called appointed middle person to negotiate about the reduction of ransoms," Zahid was quoted as saying.

Sabah has been plagued by kidnaps for ransom by Muslim insurgents from the southern Philippines, including the Abu Sayyaf group, which is the main suspect in this incident.

"Abu Sayyaf may have deliberately asked for such a large ransom because the abducted woman is Chinese. Compared with other countries, they may believe the Chinese government is more likely to pay a costly ransom for one of its citizens," said Xu Liping, an associate research fellow with the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Xu told the Global Times that it is often possible to negotiate a reduction in the amount. The cash will later be divided among middlemen, bribed police and the group itself.

Abu Sayyaf militants kidnapped a Taiwanese tourist from a Malay resort after killing her husband in November 2013. The woman was released one month later after $300,000 was paid, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Gene Yu, a former US Special Forces officer who assisted in the release of the Taiwan hostage, previously said in an interview with the South China Morning Post that Abu Sayyaf would only speak to a trusted local from the Sulu area of the Philippines as an intermediary.

"Ransom is a fickle thing - if you pay it, it could just be taken as a down payment for further exploitation. There's no credit," Yu said, adding that Chinese and Malaysian authorities may be relegated to liaisons to the Philippines security unit assigned as lead in the rescue.

Xu suggested Chinese mainland authorities learn from Taiwan's experience and send a special forces team with anti-terrorism expertise along with experienced negotiators on the rescue mission. "The hostage is usually kept in a remote area where other groups could become another threat even if she could be set free," Xu said.

However, bold military intervention should not be encouraged due to the complex situation, Xu warned, pointing out that the group is often protected by officials and police.

The kidnap is widely believed to have a further negative impact on Sino-Filipino relations after long-existing territorial disputes in the South China Sea and a hostage crisis in Manila in 2010 when a disaffected police officer shot and killed eight Hong Kong tourists.

Ji Qiufeng, a professor of international relations at Nanjing University, told the Global Times that the abduction has exposed the security holes in Malaysia, but the Philippines must shoulder more responsibility in the case after years of failure to contain the activities of this crime group.

"This can be an opportunity for China to strengthen cooperation with Southeast Asian nations to combat criminal organizations and terrorist groups. Pressure should be put on the Philippines as it has breached its international obligations when its militants keep on harassing surrounding nations," Ji noted.

Abu Sayyaf, which has been active since the early 1990s, says it fights to establish an independent Islamic province in the southern Philippines.