The New Zealand Pilot Captured by Papua Separatists
In February of this year, a small plane carried five passengers to the hazardous area of Paro in the mountainous region of Nduga, Indonesia. When the plane landed, armed members of the Free Papua Organisation stormed it, capturing the New Zealand pilot. All the other passengers were Papuan, so they were spared. The pilot, however, faced a more uncertain fate when the armed rebel group set the empty plane alight. The pilot, Philop Max Mehrten, was taken hostage by the group, who vowed to only free him when West Papua was recognized as independent by the Indonesian Government. Sammy Sebbo, the spokesman of the West Papua National Liberation Army, the armed branch of the Free Papua Organisation, said in a statement, "We have taken the pilot hostage, and we are bringing him out [...] We will never release the pilot we are holding hostage unless Indonesia recognizes and frees Papua from Indonesian colonialism [...] New Zealand, Australia, and America must be held accountable for what they have done, helping the Indonesian military to kill and genocide indigenous Papuans in the past 60 years". (The Guardian, 2023) The Papua police couldn't launch rescue operations due to mountainous jungle terrain. Military rescue operations weren't established either, leaving Mehrten as the rebels' captive.
While all this occurred in February, recent footage released by the FPO revealed the pilot for the first time since his capture. In the video, Mehrten is seen surrounded by armed men. He is forced to say, "Indonesia must recognize Papua as independent". (The Guardian, 2023) The FPO members in the video ensured he would remain safe but would only be released when independence is granted. The released video sparked renewed outrage at Indonesian authorities. The Papuan police chief has told The Guardian that negotiations for his release are ongoing, attempting to converse with local church leaders to obtain Mehrten's release.
