▁kid n apping ▁undert aken ▁because ▁" th ose ▁who ▁have ▁the ▁resources ▁must ▁pay ▁their ▁share ". ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁Am n esty ▁International ▁sent ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁F AR C - EP ▁Commander ▁Manuel ▁Mar ul anda ▁condem ning ▁kid n apping ▁and ▁host age - t aking ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁reject ing ▁the ▁thre ats ▁directed ▁at ▁municipal ▁or ▁jud icial ▁officials ▁and ▁their ▁families , ▁arg uing ▁that ▁they ▁are ▁civ ili ans ▁who ▁are ▁protected ▁by ▁international ▁human itar ian ▁law ▁as ▁long ▁as ▁they ▁do ▁not ▁particip ate ▁in ▁host ilities . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Am n esty ▁International , ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁kid n app ings ▁decre ased ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁conflict , ▁but ▁the ▁human ▁rights ▁organization ▁estimated ▁that ▁F AR C ▁and ▁EL N ▁gu err illas ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁behind ▁hundreds ▁of ▁cases ▁until ▁their ▁dis arm ing . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁press ▁reports ▁estimated ▁that ▁about ▁ 7 0 0 ▁host ages ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁held ▁capt ive ▁by ▁F AR C . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Fund ación ▁País ▁Lib re ▁anti - k id n apping ▁N GO , ▁an ▁estimated ▁total ▁of ▁ 6 , 7 7 8 ▁people ▁were ▁kid n apped ▁by ▁F AR C ▁between ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁the ▁state ' s ▁anti - k id n apping ▁ag