3-8-2024 (JAKARTA) A separatist group operating in Indonesia’s remote Papua region has announced its intention to release New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens, who has been held captive for over a year. The news comes as a potential breakthrough in a case that has drawn international attention and highlighted ongoing tensions in Indonesia’s easternmost province.
Sebby Sambom, a spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), issued an audio message on Saturday revealing that Egianus Kogoya, the leader of the armed faction responsible for Mehrtens’ abduction, has agreed to free the pilot. The kidnapping occurred on 7 February 2023, when Mehrtens’ small commercial aircraft landed in the mountainous Nduga area.
“Commander Egianus has said humbly, for the sake of humanity, we will release the pilot,” Sambom stated. However, he cautioned that the release process could take up to two months, without providing specific reasons for this extended timeframe. The Indonesian military has not yet responded to requests for comment on this development.
Mehrtens’ captivity has been a source of diplomatic tension, with New Zealand calling for his immediate release in February, marking the one-year anniversary of his abduction. Throughout his captivity, the TPNPB has released several videos of Mehrtens, often using these as platforms to demand United Nations mediation for talks on Papuan independence. In one such video, Mehrtens was shown holding the Morning Star flag, a symbol banned by Indonesian authorities and associated with the Papuan independence movement.
The kidnapping and subsequent events have shed light on the complex and often volatile situation in Papua. The region has been the scene of a low-level but increasingly deadly struggle for independence, with separatist fighters becoming more sophisticated in their tactics and weaponry.
