September 21st 2024.
After being held hostage for over a year in the volatile Papua region, a New Zealand pilot has finally been freed by separatist rebels, announced Indonesian authorities on Saturday. The pilot, identified as Philip Mark Mehrtens from Christchurch, was working for the Indonesian aviation company Susi Air when he was abducted. He was handed over to the Cartenz Peace Taskforce, a joint security force established by the Indonesian government to handle separatist groups in Papua.
According to Bayu Suseno, spokesperson for the taskforce, Mehrtens was picked up in good health and flown to Timika for a thorough medical examination. The abduction took place on February 7, 2023, when independence fighters led by regional commander Egianus Kogoya, from the Free Papua Movement, stormed a single-engine plane on a small runway in Paro. The rebels had initially declared that they would only release Mehrtens if Papua was granted independence from Indonesia.
However, after a year of being held captive, the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement, known as TPNPB, announced that they would release Mehrtens. They proposed a plan on Tuesday for his release, which included the involvement of news media. New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters confirmed that Mehrtens was finally free after 592 days in captivity. He expressed relief and happiness for the pilot and his family.
Peters also revealed that multiple government agencies had been working tirelessly for the past 19 and a half months to secure Mehrtens' release. They were also providing support to his family during this difficult time. The news outlets showed great cooperation and restraint in their coverage of the story, which was appreciated by Peters. He also requested the media to respect the family's privacy and refrain from making any further statements.
Mehrtens, who was 37 years old at the time of his abduction, was originally from Christchurch and had received his training as a pilot in New Zealand. He was one of the many expatriate pilots employed by Susi Air and had been living in Bali with his family in recent years, as reported by various New Zealand news outlets. The case had taken a toll on Mehrtens' family, and they had been anxiously waiting for his safe return. Finally, their prayers were answered, and they were able to reunite with their loved one.
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