May 9, 2000, The Philippine Star, Abu Sayyaf hostages ask for undies, McDo burgers,

May 9, 2000, The Philippine Star, Abu Sayyaf hostages ask for undies, McDo burgers, 

In turns touching, tragic, and even funny, letters written by hostages held by Muslim extremists in Mindanao show a group struggling to cope with horrendous circumstances.

Their requests, along with urgent pleas for an end to Army attacks, included canvas and plastic for protection from the rain, underwear, a McDonald's hamburger, and "glasses (-3.25) (very urgent)... as we brought nothing here."

The letters, to families and governments, were brought out of the rebel camp by two Associated Press journalists permitted to visit the hideout deep in the jungle on Jolo island late Saturday.

A German family of three, two French, two South African, two Finns, one Lebanese, nine Malaysians and two Filipinos were grabbed from a Malaysian diving resort two weeks ago by the Abu Sayyaf rebels, who along with a larger rebel group are fighting for a separate Islamic state in the Christian-dominated Mindanao. Their demands for the hostages' release are not yet clear.

"Please help us get out of here ALIVE and not DEAD," pleaded Filipinos Lucrecia Dablo and Abe Roland Ulla in a letter to President Estrada and the Filipino people, "specially our loved ones."

The rebels made their hostages write in English or Filipino so they could read the letters.

"We live like animals in the dirt under the trees," wrote Sonia Wendling and Stephane Loisy of France.

The hostages were being held in a cage made of branches, much like those used to contain pigs, with the Westerners separated from the Asians.

When the army launched an attack on the separatists' last hideout, Ken Fong wrote on behalf of his fellow Malaysians, "We were caught in between cross fire. As we are ... citizen of Malaysia, we none have any experience in this. We all didn't know what to do."

Many of the letter-writers pleaded for the military to pull back its cordon around the camp.

"Please speed up the process for our freedom and please do NOT attempt ANY OTHER MILITARY OPERATION anymore," wrote Marie Moarbes, a Lebanese citizen and French resident, her handwriting becoming a scrawl. "Please get us out of here."

The letter from South Africans Callie and Monique Strydom alternates pathos and humor: "We are not sure if you got our other messages. We hear no news and fear that nothing is happening ensuring our release," they wrote, adding that they miss South African hospitality and requesting a fast-food burger.

Just about everyone played down the nature of their situation, but their terror leaks through.

"After these 13 days it becomes really difficult to stay here, especially mentally," the two French captives wrote their parents. "Please forgive us for the pain we caused to you."