Several New Zealand media outlets reported the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organization's hostage-taking of Captain Philips Max Mehrtens of Susi Air (TPNPB-OPM). Mehrtens is a resident of New Zealand. Since the Pilatus Porter PC 6/PK-BVY aircraft he was traveling on was destroyed by fire on February 7 in Nduga, he has been kept captive by TPNPB-OPM for a week.
Separatist rebels in Indonesia's troubled Papua area have published a number of photos of a New Zealand pilot who was kidnapped less than a week ago.
Photos made public on Tuesday showed the pilot, identified by local police as Philip Mehrtens, standing among a group of fighters brandishing firearms, bows, and arrows, and other weapons while fully dressed and seemingly unscathed.
Last week, after landing a Susi Air commercial charter plane in the isolated mountains of Nduga Regency, Mehrtens was detained. The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), which claimed credit and claimed to have set fire to his plane, claimed blame.
Since the province came under Indonesian authority following a contentious ballot supervised by the United Nations in 1969, separatist rebels in Papua, Indonesia's easternmost region and a former Dutch colony, have been calling for independence.
New Zealand diplomats in Indonesia will help the country's government locate and save Captain Mehrtens. After attacking the Susi Air Pilatur Porter PC 6/PK-BVY aircraft on February 7, OPM gained attention.
TPNPB has received a terrorist group designation from the Indonesian government. Fighting has increased recently in the underdeveloped but resource-rich region where Indonesian armed forces are heavily deployed.
Five passengers, including an infant, were on the same airplane as Mehrtens, according to Papua Police Chief Inspector Mathius Fahiri, but it is still unknown what happened to them.
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