File photo of New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens reading a statement prepared by a group of separatists in Papua on March 10, 2023. PHOTO: TWITTER/THE JAKARTA POST
Indonesian and New Zealand authorities rejoiced over the weekend as Philip Mehrtens, a New Zealand pilot held hostage for 19 months by a Papuan armed group, walked free on Saturday.
Mehrtens was working for Indonesian airline Susi Air when he was abducted on Feb. 7, 2023 by a faction of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) led by Egianus Kogoya in Nduga, Papua Highlands province.
Members of the Cartenz Peace Operation, a joint police and military task force assigned to curb armed criminal groups (KKB) and restore peace in the region, picked up Mehrtens on Saturday morning at a village in Nduga. Medical personnel then checked the pilot’s physical and psychological condition before he was transported to Timika, Papua.
Mehrtens’ family thanked the TPNPB, the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), for taking care of the pilot while he was in captivity.
They also expressed gratitude to Egianus and his fighters for “keeping Phil as safe and healthy as their means allowed”, and for letting the pilot “get several messages out” during captivity to let his family know that he was alive.
Mehrtens made sporadic appearances in video messages addressing his family and the New Zealand government during his captivity in the Papuan countryside.
“Those messages filled our souls and gave us hope that we would eventually see Phil again,” the family on Sunday, as quoted by AFP.
Aside from the TPNPB, the pilot’s family also thanked all those involved in his liberation, including the Indonesian government, police and military, as well as New Zealand authorities.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement that Mehrtens was “safe and well” and “has been able to speak with his family”.
“This news must be an enormous relief for his friends and loved ones,” he said.
Peters also said that several New Zealand agencies, led by the Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry, had worked with Indonesian authorities for the past 20 months to secure Mehrtens’ release.
‘Soft approach’
Several days prior to Mehrtens’ release on Sept. 21, the TPNPB sent a proposal that was contingent on certain parties witnessing the event, including representatives from the World Council of Churches and the United Nations as well as journalists. The group also demanded that Jakarta refrain from deploying military operations during Mehrtens’ release.
Cartenz spokesperson Adj. Sr. Come. Bayu Suseno said on Friday that the security forces would study the proposal, ensuring “a genuine effort” to release the Kiwi pilot.
After he was declared fit to travel, security personnel flew Mehrtens to Jakarta on Saturday night.
Upon his arrival at around 10:30 p.m. at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in East Jakarta, Mehrtens was greeted by Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Hadi Tjahjanto, Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Agus Subiyanto, National Police Chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo and New Zealand Ambassador to Indonesia Kevin Burnett.
“This release is the result of a long negotiation process emphasizing a soft approach, as everything we did was for the safety of captain Philip Mehrtens,” Hadi told a press briefing on Saturday evening.
When asked for details of the talks, the senior minister said the negotiation team also involved traditional leaders, community figures and church leaders, adding that the TPNPB did not ask anything in return for releasing Mehrtens.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo lauded the successful outcome and conveyed his appreciation to the TNI and the police for their restraint throughout “a long negotiation process”.
Call for resolution
While appreciating the efforts to secure Mehrtens’ release, lawmaker Meutya Hafid called on the government to resolve conflicts in Papua through peaceful means.
“Methods that prioritize dialogue and a humanistic approach are an important step, and should bec the benchmark for similar operations in the future,” said the Golkar Party politician, who chairs House of Representatives Commission I overseeing defense and foreign affairs.
Atnike Nova Sigiro, chairwoman of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), called on authorities to use Mehrten’s case as “momentum to push for better civil rights protection in Papua, in any situation”.
Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia, also said Mehrten’s release should serve as a reminder that the ongoing conflict in Indonesia’s easternmost region continued to have a real impact on the rights of Papuan people.
“This moment should not stand alone. Mehrtens’ release after more than 1.5 years in captivity is a critical moment that signals the possibility of addressing wider grievances in Papua in a similar spirit of nonviolence,” he said.
Despite growing calls for a softer approach in resolving issues in Papua, Jokowi and Hadi both said the government would maintain a heavy presence of police and military personnel to safeguard development projects and logistics in the easternmost territory.
“We provide support in areas deemed at risk of disturbances, and we will continue to carry out these activities,” Hadi said.
Many areas across the region have seen increasing clashes between security personnel and KKB over the years, and hundreds of Papuan civilians have been caught in the cross fire.
Asia News Network/The Jakarta Post
