A New Zealand pilot, Phillip Mark Mehrtens, who had been held hostage for over a year by separatist rebels in the Papua region of Indonesia, was freed by rebels and handed over to the Cartenz Peace Taskforce, a joint security force set up by the Indonesian government to deal with separatist groups in Papua. The 38-year-old pilot was picked up in good health in Yuguru village in Nduga district and flown to Timika for further health and psychological examination. Mehrtens was abducted by independence fighters led by Egianus Kogoya, a regional commander in the Free Papua Movement, in February 2023.
The region of Papua, located in the easternmost part of Indonesia. was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 under a United Nations-sponsored ballot that was widely seen as unethical, leading to a low-level insurgency. The conflict in the region has intensified over the past year, resulting in the deaths of dozens of rebels, security forces, and civilians. Initially, rebels led by Kogoya demanded Papua’s sovereignty in exchange for Mehrtens’ release, but recently, the West Papua Liberation Army proposed terms for freeing Mehrtens, including the involvement of news media in his release.
After 592 days in captivity, Phillip Mehrtens was released, confirmed by New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters. Efforts from various New Zealand government agencies and Indonesian authorities helped secure Mehrtens’ release, bringing enormous relief to his family and friends. Peters commended the cooperation and restraint shown by news outlets in covering the story. The Mehrtens family had requested privacy following the release, and Peters respected their wishes by refraining from further comment at that time.
Mehrtens, a New Zealand pilot employed by Susi Air, had been living in Bali with his family before being kidnapped at the age of 37. Various outlets reported on the ordeal during his captivity. The pilot was safe and well in Timika, Papua, as confirmed by Peters, who anticipated Mehrtens’ reunion with his family in Jakarta. While Peters did not provide details on how Mehrtens was freed, he expressed relief and satisfaction at the successful outcome.
Releasing Mehrtens was a challenging and nerve-wracking process due to the delicate environment and the need to build trust with the captors. Indonesia President Joko Widodo commended the military and police for their role in prioritizing persuasion and safety during the negotiations. Earlier in the year, armed separatists had attacked Indonesian troops during a rescue mission for Mehrtens, resulting in casualties on both sides. In a separate incident, a New Zealand pilot, Glen Malcolm Conning, was killed by gunmen who attacked a helicopter in Central Papua province. The attack was a part of the ongoing conflict between rebels and Indonesian authorities in the region.
Past incidents involving separatists in Papua, such as the abduction of the World Wildlife Fund research mission members in 1996, have resulted in casualties and hostage releases following lengthy negotiations. While no one claimed responsibility for the recent attack on Conning, the situation in Papua remains volatile, with ongoing conflicts and negotiations between rebels and Indonesian authorities. Despite the challenges and risks involved, efforts to secure the release of hostages like Phillip Mark Mehrtens continue in the region.
