Paying terror ransom will do more harm than good

Singapore

IF governments pay ransom when a citizen is taken as a hostage by a terrorist group, they are in fact endangering their own people - hence the official policy of governments worldwide to not negotiate with terrorists, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday.

"These are very difficult decisions which countries have to make when it comes to such a situation. You cannot just take a humanitarian point-of-view because your instinct to do good may lead to more harm. On the other hand, if you just don't do anything at all, it goes against all your feelings of what you must do for your own compatriot," said Mr Lee.