JAKARTA: An armed rebel group in the easternmost region of Papua released a proposal on Tuesday (Sept 17) to free New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens, who they kidnapped more than a year ago.
Mehrtens was abducted by a faction of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) led by Egianus Kogoya in Nduga, Papua Highlands, on Feb 7, 2023, and remains in captivity with the TPNPB, the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (OPM).
TPNPB OPM spokesperson Sebby Sambom publicly released a proposal to free Mehrtens for approval by both the Indonesian and New Zealand governments on Tuesday.
He told The Jakarta Post that Shieny Angelita, a special facilitator for the Indonesian government, will officially convey the proposal to the Indonesian government as soon as possible.
In its proposal, TPNPB requested that the delivery of Mehrtens be witnessed by the World Council of Churches, a United Nations representative, Mehrtens’ family, a figure from Nduga, two senior national and international journalists and two Indonesian human rights figures. They also demanded that the Indonesian government not conduct military operations during the release.
“We will wait for a response from the Indonesian government,” Sebby told the Post on Tuesday.
The TPNPB conveyed its plan to release the proposal on Sunday. However, after the statement, Sebby said that Indonesia’s security forces began sending troops by air to Kenyam, Nduga, on Monday, claiming that the Indonesian government and military has ulterior motives in freeing the hostage.
Sebby said in a statement on Tuesday that attacks by Indonesia’s security forces continued until Tuesday, with at least 10 bombs in Alguru, Nduga.
The TPNPB had put forward the plan to free Mehrtens in August, but the joint police-military Operation Cartenz Peace task force spokesperson Adj Sr Comr Bayu Suseno cast doubt on that, describing it as “mere propaganda”.
Armed conflict between Indonesia’s security forces and the armed rebel group who demand that Indonesia recognize Papuan independence continues to occur despite mounting calls for security forces to apply a different approach to curb conflict in the resource-rich yet poorest regions. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
