A New Zealand pilot is in the hands of rebels in Papua

JAKARTA – About a week after a New Zealand pilot was kidnapped in the Indonesian province of Papua, insurgents have released photos of their hostage. The kidnapped Philip Mertens can be seen in the photos in good health and in the middle of the jungle, surrounded by natives, some of whom are heavily armed. Separatist rebels set fire to a small passenger plane at Paro airport in the remote Nduga district last week and kidnapped the pilot.

The West Papua National Liberation Army, the armed wing of the local separatist movement, claimed responsibility for the attack. Meanwhile, the Indonesian authorities announced negotiations with the rebels. “We hope with the help of the local government and indigenous community leaders to contact the kidnappers,” said Benny Ade Prabowo, a district police spokesman, on Thursday.

Frequent violent clashes

The Indonesian-ruled region of Papua in the western half of New Guinea has been the scene of separatist uprisings since the 1960s. The province was annexed to Indonesia in 1969 in a vote sponsored by the United Nations. For years, there have been frequent violent conflicts in the resource-rich region. East of the island located north of Australia is the independent nation of Papua New Guinea.

“We don’t just want to negotiate with the Indonesian government. Every negotiation should be mediated by the international community,” rebel spokesman Sebi Sambom said in an audio message to German news agency DPA.

On Tuesday, the TPNPB released a video threatening to kill the pilot if security forces tried to force him to eject. The Indonesian military confirmed that the hostage was Philip Mertens – but at the same time ruled out compliance with the rebels’ demands for independence. “Their demands are ridiculous. We hope they will admit their mistake and return to the bosom of the Republic of Indonesia,” said army spokesman Herman Taryaman.