Thai wife begs for mercy

2004-09-30 09:31

Bangkok - The Thai wife of British hostage Ken Bigley begged his captors for mercy on Thursday after she watched him on television shackled in a cage and imploring the British premier to save his life.

Sombat Bigley said she remained confident that he would be released after seeing the video but declined to say if she believed Britain was doing enough to help her husband.

"I was crying when I saw him on television yesterday," said Sombat, 35, by telephone from her sister's home near Bangkok where she is staying during the ordeal.

"I was very glad when I saw him, I know my hopes of seeing him released are still on."

"Even though he is chained, he looked in better health than I thought he would be.

"I'm begging for mercy from the captors for the release of Ken. Please sympathise with our family."

Shown on the video dressed in orange overalls, an exhausted-looking and unshaven Bigley pleaded for his life.

The 62-year-old engineer appeared to be manacled, with his hands and feet tied as he accused British premier Tony Blair of "lying" about negotiations for his release.

"I'm begging you for my life... I'm begging you," he said on the video shown by Al-Jazeera Arabic satellite television on Wednesday.

Bigley is being held by the Tawhid wal Jihad (Unity and Holy War) group of suspected Al-Qaeda operative Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi.

He was seized on September 16 from his Baghdad home, along with two American colleagues who were beheaded by their captors last week.

- AFP