New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens freed by Papua rebels

A New Zealand pilot who was freed more than 19 months after being taken hostage by separatists in Indonesia said he was “very happy” to be returning home to his family.

Philip Mehrtens was kidnapped by West Papua National Liberation Army fighters in February 2023 and on Saturday, after lengthy negotiations, was released and handed over to Indonesian officials.

He appeared in front of the cameras looking exhausted and sporting a full beard, but is said to be in good health.

The 38-year-old was kidnapped after landing a small passenger plane in the remote, mountainous Nduga region.

“I was released today. I am very happy that I will soon be able to go home and see my family,” Mr. Mehrtens, speaking in Indonesian, told reporters in Timika.

“Thank you to everyone who helped me today, so I can leave safely and in good health.”

His release came after months of “critical” diplomatic efforts by Wellington and Jakarta authorities.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon welcomed the news of his release, while New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters added: “His family will be overjoyed.”

Indonesian police spokesman Bayu Suseno said Mr Mehrtens was released and later detained in Yuguru village in Maibarok district, from where he was flown to the town of Timika.

Days before his release, the rebels told the Indonesian broadcaster BBC that they would release Mr Mehrtens “safely and in accordance with international human rights standards”.

“We, the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), will continue to advocate for maintaining the values ​​of peace, respect and dignity in this situation,” spokesman Sebby Sambom said.

The pilot, a father of one, flies to Jakarta to meet his family.

He was kidnapped when his small passenger plane, belonging to Indonesian airline Susi Air, landed in Nduga in February last year.

He was supposed to return several hours later, dropping off five passengers, but shortly after landing, rebels attacked the plane and captured him.

The remaining five passengers, all indigenous Papuans, were released.

The kidnapping was part of a long-standing and often brutal conflict between the Indonesian government and the indigenous people of West Papua.

In April at least one Indonesian soldier was killed after an ambush by rebels while searching for a kidnapped New Zealander in the Papua region.

Last month, another pilot from New Zealand, Glen Malcolm Conning, 50, was shot dead by an independence group known as the Organisation for Free Papua (OPM) after arriving in the region with two Indonesian health workers and two surviving children.

Authorities said the same group that held Mr. Mehrtens was responsible for Mr. Conning’s death.

A spokesman for the West Papua National Liberation Army previously told the BBC’s Indonesian newsroom that they wanted to keep Mr Mehrtens in captivity until countries “like New Zealand and Australia” took responsibility for their alleged role in the violence in Papua.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Saturday that Jakarta managed to ensure Mr Mehrtens’ safety through negotiations, not the use of force.

Speaking to reporters, he said: “The most important thing for us was the safety of the pilot who was held hostage. It was a long process.”

The region is a former Dutch colony divided into two provinces, Papua and West Papua. It is separate from Papua New Guinea, which gained independence from Australia in 1975.

Papuan rebels seeking independence from Indonesia have previously issued threats and attacked aircraft they say are carrying personnel and supplies to Jakarta.

The resource-rich region has been fighting for independence since it came under Indonesian control in 1969 in a disputed UN-supervised vote.

Conflicts between indigenous Papuans and Indonesian authorities have been common since then, Independence fighters have been carrying out increasingly frequent attacks since 2018.