Concerns persist over New Zealand pilot kidnapped by separatist rebels in Indonesia’s Papua province. Previous attempts by the military to free him have failed. One soldier was killed trying to free himself, four others are missing.
The soldiers were ambushed over the weekend, the army said on Tuesday. The rebels had previously said they had killed 15 soldiers, but the head of Indonesia’s armed forces, Yudo Margono, described this as fake news.
As reported, on February 7, West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) rebels set fire to a small plane in the remote district of Nduga and kidnapped the pilot of local airline Susi Air. Since then, the kidnappers have released videos and photos of their hostage several times. The kidnapped Philip Mehrtens was surrounded by indigenous peoples, some of whom were heavily armed.
Kidnappers demand peace talks with government
His captors are demanding peace talks with the Indonesian government. If the latter refuses to hold talks with the UN, the TPNPB will continue the armed attacks, it said on Sunday. “The United Nations and New Zealand must pressure Indonesia to halt military operations and negotiate through a neutral third party,” rebel spokesman Sebby Sambom said.
The rebels want independence from Indonesia. The Papua region in the western half of New Guinea has been the scene of separatist uprisings since the 1960s. The province has been part of the island state since 1969. Violent conflicts have been recurring for years. The east of the island north of Australia is the country of Papua New Guinea.
Source: Krone
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