Captives Describe Ordeal
Men who were held captive by Somali pirates will retell their traumatic stories in a documentary that will show on the first day of a global anti-piracy conference next week.
Pirates’ captives to tell of their ordeal
By Ramola Talwar Badam, The National
The sailors who were held for 11 months and families of hostages still being held captive off the shores of Somalia are the voices on Piracy: The Human Cost.
The premiere of the film will be shown in Dubai on Wednesday at the two-day Counter Piracy conference organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the port operator DP World.
One poignant scene focuses on Nareman and Mishal Jawaid, the daughters of Captain Jawaid of the cargo ship MV Albedo, which has been held by pirates since November 2010. The girls say hope that their father will survive helps them get through every day.
Nareman Jawaid works in Dubai and had bid farewell to her father two years ago when he set sail from Jebel Ali port.
In another scene, an Indian engineer tells of the surprise element in the pirate’s attack on another ship, and the harrowing price his crew paid. The sailor was held captive on the MV Savina Caylyn from February to December of last year.
“I want people to see that lives are being ruined,” said the film’s director, Jayson Clarke. “I want them to see what it really means to be a victim of piracy.”
Mohammed Sharaf, DP World’s group chief executive, said the film was commissioned to raise awareness about piracy.
“The extending geographic range of pirates’ attacks and the increasing levels of violence are extremely alarming,” he said.
“With this documentary, we aim to stimulate debate to help find a sustainable solution to the root causes of piracy.”
There are more than 200 sailors now being held hostage by Somali pirates, and 62 seafarers have lost their lives to pirates since 2007.
To view the video of the men who were held captive by pirates, please log onto http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/video-the-human-cost-of-piracy
Source: The National
