Right: Australian David Wilson, (blue shirt) along with Frenchman Jean-Michel Braquet and Briton Mark Slater were kidnapped in Cambodia in 1994, by the Khmer Rouge. Despite attempts by the Australian government and the men's families to negotiate and pay a ransom, the three were brutally murdered in a jungle camp.
.. Found a word you're not familiar with? Double-click that word to bring up a dictionary reference to it. The dictionary page includes an audio sound file with which to actually hear the word said. |
Background information
(The following information is extracted from the 2011 Senate inquiry titled, 'Held Hostage: Government's response to kidnapping of Australian citizens overseas'. The full text of this Senate report can be found at http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/fadt_ctte/kidnap_ransom/report/report.pdf)
Australians kidnapped overseas
Being kidnapped and held for ransom is an on-going threat for many Australians who live, work and travel abroad.
The majority of Australians who have been kidnapped and held for ransom overseas since 1994 have been in Africa, particularly in Nigeria where a large number of Australians are employed in the oil industry. Australians have also been kidnapped in Iraq, Afghanistan, Gaza, Colombia, Cambodia, Yemen, Russia, Turkey and India.
Most Australians who have been taken hostage have been released. However, a number have died including Andrew Thirsk, kidnapped with a tour group in Yemen in 1998 and killed during the rescue attempt by Yemeni government forces, and David Wilson and Kellie Wilkinson separately kidnapped and murdered by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia in 1994.
There have been at least 30 reported kidnapping incidents involving Australians overseas since the deaths of Kellie Wilkinson and David Wilson.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has listed 11 cases that it was aware of dating from 1996 (DFAT acknowledges that there may be other cases that have been resolved without any request for government assistance). Information from newspaper reports and press releases suggests a further 20 cases of Australians being kidnapped overseas in that period.
The reported kidnapping incidents involving Australians that have occurred over the last seven years in chronological order are:
2004-Iraq: Robert Colvill, an American-Australian sound engineer for NBC was kidnapped with three colleagues in Fallujah. He was released three days later after the NBC reportedly paid a ransom.
2004-Iraq: Two Australian security guards were reportedly taken hostage with their clients by a group known as the 'Horror Brigades of the Islamic Secret Army' in September. The group demanded that Australian forces be withdrawn from Iraq. The kidnapping was never confirmed but media reports stated that an SAS team was dispatched to Iraq and that an AFP team specially trained for hostage crises in the Middle-East was on standby.
2004-Iraq: John Martinkus, journalist, kidnapped with two local companions outside his hotel in Baghdad and held for 20 hours by Sunni insurgents before being released.
2005-Iraq: Douglas Wood, engineer, kidnapped with two Iraqi colleagues on 30 April in Baghdad by the Shura Council of the Mujahadeen of Iraq. The hostage takers demanded that Australian forces leave Iraq. An 'emergency response' team was dispatched from Australia to Iraq. Wood was released by Iraqi forces during a 'random' operation on 15 June 2005. His two colleagues had been killed at an earlier date by the hostage takers.
2005-Gaza: Brian Ambrosio, deputy principal at a private American school, was kidnapped with a Dutch colleague in December by a group connected to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. He was released unharmed after being held for two days.
2006-Gaza: Kaye Bennett and Oles Shchyrytsya were abducted with seven other foreigners at the American International School at Beit Lahiya in Gaza. They were held for two hours before being released at a nearby police station after the captors determined that none of the hostages was American.
2007-Nigeria: Jason Lane, oil worker, was kidnapped with four other foreign contractors on 4 July from an oil rig operated by Shell in the Niger Delta. The hostages were released after seven days.
2007-Mali: Des Gregor, farmer, was kidnapped after travelling to Bamako to meet a woman he had met over the internet whom he believed would be his bride. He was held by a criminal gang who demanded a ransom of $100,000 from Mr Gregor's friends and family in Australia. Mr Gregor was held for 12 days before AFP negotiators persuaded the kidnappers that there was money to be collected by the captive from the Canadian Embassy in Bamako. The gang released Mr Gregor near the embassy and he was rescued by police.
2008-09-Somalia: an Australian with dual nationality kidnapped with colleagues working for an NGO. Their employer conducted negotiations with the support of a private security firm and the hostages were released after an estimated ransom of US$4.1 million was paid. The family requested that his Australian nationality not be disclosed at any point in the negotiations.
2008-09-Somalia: Nigel Brennan, photo journalist, kidnapped with Canadian journalist, Amanda Lindhout, and a number of Somali nationals on 23 August 2008 outside Mogadishu. Hostage takers demanded a multi-million dollar ransom. Somali nationals were released in January 2009. Brennan and Lindhout were released on 25 November 2009 after their families engaged a private security firm and paid ransom of around US$600,000.
2009-The Gambia: Justin Liebig, lured by a scam and kidnapped on 2 February. He was freed on 10 February after a reported ?5,000 in ransom was paid. DFAT and the Australian Federal Police officers were reportedly sent to The Gambia to assist with investigations. Gambian police arrested the kidnappers and recovered most of the ransom.
2011-East Africa: Australian ship captain with dual nationality taken hostage with crew by Somali pirates in February. Captain, crew and vessel were released two months later after ransom was paid by the shipping company.
2011- Philippines: Warren Rodwell was taken from his home on the southern island of Mindanao on December 5 and has appeared in a video pleading for his family and authorities to raise $2 million for his release.