A New Zealand pilot held hostage for more than a year in the restive Papua region of Indonesia was freed yesterday by separatist rebels.
Phillip Mark Mehrtens, a 38-year-old pilot from Christchurch, was working for Indonesian aviation company Susi Air when he was abducted by rebels from the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) insurgent group at Papua’s Nduga airport on Feb. 7 last year.
“Today I finally got out. I am so happy to be back home with my family soon,” Mehrtens told reporters at a news conference in the mining town of Timika. “Thank you to everyone who helped me get out safely and healthy.”
Photo: AFP
Television news earlier showed an emaciated, long-haired Mehrtens, wearing a dark-green shirt and black shorts, sitting in a room surrounded by police officers and local officials. He sobbed while talking to his family through videoconference, while an officer patted his back. He was later flown to Jakarta to be reunited with his family.
A joint task force of police and military personnel collected Mehrtens in a village of the Nduga Regency early yesterday before he was given medical and psychological checks and flown to Timika, said the unit’s head, Faizal Ramadhani.
New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Winston Peters said Mehrtens was “safe and well” and had been able to speak with his family.
“This news must be an enormous relief for his friends and loved ones,” Peters added.
Mehrtens was providing vital air links and supplies to remote communities at the time of his abduction.
Egianus Kogoya, a regional commander in the Free Papua Movement, initially said the rebels would not release Mehrtens unless Indonesia’s government allows Papua to become a sovereign country.
Then on Tuesday, TPNPB leaders issued a proposal for freeing Mehrtens that outlined terms including news media involvement in his release.
Mehrtens’ release was the result of hard work from a small team that had been communicating with the separatists through the local church and community leaders as well as youth figures, task force spokesperson Bayu Suseno said.
“This is incredibly good news,” said Suseno. “Effort to free the pilot by soft approach resulted in a hostage release without any casualties both from security forces, civilians or the pilot himself.”
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