Indonesia’s Papua rebels ready to free NZ pilot

[Pelican Press 0]

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Indonesia’s Papua rebels ready to free NZ pilot

A separatist group in Indonesia’s Papua region has agreed to free New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens from more than a year in captivity, according to a spokesman.

An armed faction of the West Papua National Liberation Army kidnapped Mehrtens in February 2023 after he landed a small commercial plane in the remote, mountainous area of Nduga.

The group’s leader Egianus Kogoya has agreed to release Mehrtens and is readying a plan to do so, spokesman Sebby Sambom said in an audio message issued on Saturday, adding it could take up to two months.

“Commander Egianus has said humbly, for the sake of humanity, we will release the pilot,” Sambom said, but gave no reason for the timeframe.

Indonesia’s military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Indonesia has previously said it had prioritised talks with religious and community leaders to free the pilot, as a military operation in the rugged highland area presented dangers.

In February, New Zealand called for the immediate release of Mehrtens, a year after his kidnapping.

The group has released videos of the pilot several times, asking the UN to mediate talks towards Papua’s independence.

One of them showed him holding the banned Morning Star flag and surrounded by Papuan fighters.

A low-level but increasingly deadly battle for independence has raged in the resource-rich western half of Papua, where attacks by independence fighters have grown deadlier and more frequent as they have procured more sophisticated weapons.

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