(4-7-2023 JAKARTA) President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, has emphasized that relentless efforts are underway to secure the release of Philip Mark Mehrtens, a New Zealand citizen and pilot for Susi Air, who is currently being held hostage by a separatist group led by Egianus Kogoya in Papua.
During a press briefing at Jakarta’s Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport on Monday, before departing for Australia to attend the 2023 Annual Leaders Meeting, Jokowi assured reporters that negotiations and attempts to free Mehrtens would persist. However, he refrained from disclosing specific details of the government’s actions in this matter.
“The government has taken significant steps, but I cannot divulge them at this time,” President Jokowi explained.
Mehrtens was abducted by the armed separatist group on February 7, 2023. The group also set fire to the Susi Air Pilatus Porter PC 6 aircraft that he had been piloting upon landing at Paro Airfield in Nduga District, Papua Pegunungan Province.
In the ongoing efforts to secure Mehrtens’ release, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD refrained from providing specific updates on the progress made. He directed journalists to seek further information from the Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief.
Previously, Papua Regional Police Chief Inspector General Pol Mathius Fakhiri expressed hope that Egianus Kogoya’s group would release Mehrtens. Fakhiri confirmed that security forces are prioritizing negotiations in order to secure the pilot’s freedom. However, he acknowledged that finding common ground on the issues of independence and firearms has proven challenging.
Meanwhile, TNI Commander Admiral Yudo Margono reiterated that negotiation remains the primary strategy for securing Mehrtens’ release, emphasizing that violence is not the optimal approach.
President Jokowi is scheduled to visit Jayapura, Papua, on July 7 to attend the Papua Street Festival, a significant event that underscores the government’s commitment to the region.
