Pilot hostage freed by Papua rebels ‘very happy’ to go home
A New Zealand pilot, who was held hostage by separatists in Indonesia for more than 19 months, has expressed his joy at finally being reunited with his family.
Philip Mehrtens was abducted by fighters from the West Papua National Liberation Army in February 2023 and was freed after prolonged negotiations. He was handed over to Indonesian authorities on Saturday.
Appearing in front of cameras looking thin and sporting a full beard, Mehrtens is reportedly in good health.
The 38-year-old was taken captive after landing a small commercial plane in the remote and mountainous region of Nduga.
“Today I have been freed. I am very happy that soon I will be able to go home and see my family,” Mr. Mehrtens said in Indonesian during a press conference in Timika.
“Thank you to everyone who helped me today, allowing me to be safely freed and in good health.”
His release followed months of “critical” diplomatic negotiations between authorities in Wellington and Jakarta.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon welcomed the news, while Foreign Minister Winston Peters added, “His family will be absolutely over the moon.”
According to Indonesian police spokesperson Bayu Suseno, Mehrtens was freed in a village called Yuguru in the Maibarok district before being flown to Timika.
A few days before the release, rebels had told the BBC Indonesian service that they would release Mr. Mehrtens “safely and in accordance with international human rights protection standards.”
“We the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), remain committed to upholding the values of peace, respect and dignity in this situation,” spokesman Sebby Sambom said.
The pilot, a father-of-one, is being flown to Jakarta to be reunited with his family.
He was kidnapped after his small passenger plane – which belongs to Indonesia’s Susi Air – landed in Nduga in February last year.
He was meant to return a few hours later after dropping off five passengers but shortly after landing, rebels targeted the single-engine plane and seized him.
The five other passengers, who were indigenous Papuans, were released.
The kidnapping was part of a long-running, often brutally violent conflict between the Indonesian government and West Papua’s indigenous people.
In April, at least one Indonesian soldier was killed after being ambushed by rebels while searching for the kidnapped New Zealander in the Papua region.
Last month another New Zealand pilot, 50-year-old Glen Malcolm Conning, was shot dead by a pro-independence group known as Free Papua Organisation (OPM) after landing in the region with two Indonesian health workers and two children, all of whom survived.
Authorities said the group responsible for Mr Conning’s death is the same that was holding Mr Mehrtens.
A spokesperson from the West Papua National Liberation Army previously told the BBC Indonesian service they wanted to hold Mr Mehrtens captive until countries “like New Zealand and Australia” took responsibility for their alleged role in violence in Papua.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Saturday that Jakarta had been able to secure Mr Mehrtens’ safety through ongoing negotiation, and not force.
Speaking to reporters he said: “We prioritised the safety of the pilot who was held hostage. It took a long process”.
The region is a former Dutch colony divided into two provinces, Papua and West Papua. It is separate from Papua New Guinea, which secured independence from Australia in 1975.
Papuan rebels seeking independence from Indonesia have previously issued threats and attacked aircraft they believe to be carrying personnel and supplies for Jakarta.
The resource-rich region has been caught in a battle for independence since it was brought under Indonesia’s control in a disputed UN-supervised vote in 1969.
Conflicts between indigenous Papuans and the Indonesian authorities have been common since, with pro-independence fighters mounting more frequent attacks since 2018.
