The Indonesian government will not pay ransom for the release of nine fishermen who have been taken hostage for one month by militants in Somalia, an official said Friday.

"Paying the ransom will only allow another abduction to occur in the future," Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Yuri Thamrin said in a news conference here.

The nine fishermen worked for South Korean company Dongwon Fisheries.

They were kidnapped along with eight South Koreans, five Vietnamese and three Chinese from their ship sailing on an international route on April 4.

Their fate remains unknown so far.

Source: Xinhua