The 12 were taken hostage by hundreds of Chinese laborers who were working for the real estate company on the islands. The laborers say they have not been paid due to financial problems caused by the recent failure of the Lehman Brothers investment bank and its global investment project. They are demanding their salaries in exchange for the contractors' release.
Foreign Ministry officials said they are working with British officials in Santa Domingo in the Dominican Republic to secure the contractors' release. The island of West Caicos is under British control. Officials said they hoped the crisis would be resolved by Friday.
Representatives from Ashtroom said Thursday that the company had decided to give the Chinese laborers the money they are demanding, even though much of the money is owed by a Chinese manpower firm and not by Ashtroom. However, the matter “is not simple and will take time,” they warned.
One of the contractors, Moti, spoke with Israeli media on Thursday afternoon. None of the hostages have been hurt, Moti said, and they are currently being treated well. However, he said, the situation could change at any time. A small group of Israeli women managed to leave the island on a small boat, he said. The hostages have been allowed to contact their families in Israel using their cell phones.
The Chinese laborers responsible for the kidnapping have not received payment from the Chinese company responsible for their employment, Moti explained, and so decided to take the Israelis hostage in order to pressure the company into paying their salaries. The workers each paid $15,000 in order to start work on the island, and are demanding the return of that additional investment in addition to their wages and travel expenses.
The hostage-takers have sealed off the port that is the single entrance point to the island, Moti reported, and are not allowing anyone to enter or leave. The island, located some 575 miles south of Miami, Florida, can be accessed only by boat or small aircraft.
West Caicos is only 11 square miles in area, and is home to a 500-acre protected wildlife reserve known as Lake Catherine. There is currently an effort underway to develop the island into a private upscale resort that is reportedly linked to the Ritz-Carlton resort. The resort was to open this year, but the opening has been delayed, apparently due to financial problems.