JAKARTA, Indonesia — The New Zealand pilot who’s been held hostage for greater than a yr within the restive Papua area has been freed by separatist rebels, Indonesian authorities mentioned Saturday.
Phillip Mark Mehrtens, the pilot from Christchurch who was working for Indonesian aviation firm Susi Air, was handed over early Saturday to the Cartenz Peace Taskforce, the joint safety power arrange by the Indonesian authorities to take care of separatist teams in Papua, after separatist rebels let him stroll free early Saturday, mentioned the taskforce spokesperson Bayu Suseno.
“We managed to choose him up in good well being,” Suseno mentioned, including that Mehrtens was flown to the mining city Timika for additional well being examination.
Independence fighters led by Egianus Kogoya, a regional commander within the Free Papua Motion, stormed a single-engine aircraft on a small runway in Paro and kidnapped Mehrtens on Feb. 7, 2023. Kogoya initially mentioned the rebels wouldn’t launch the pilot except Indonesia’s authorities permits Papua to turn into a sovereign nation.
Leaders of the West Papua Liberation Military, the armed wing of the Free Papua Motion often called TPNPB, mentioned they’d let Mehrtens go after a yr being held by his captors. The rebels issued a proposal Tuesday for releasing Mehrtens that outlined phrases together with information media involvement in his launch.
New Zealand International Minister Winston Peters confirmed Mehrtens’ launch after 592 days in captivity.
“We’re happy and relieved to verify that Phillip Mehrtens is protected and effectively and has been in a position to discuss along with his household,” Peters mentioned in a written assertion Saturday. “This information have to be an infinite aid for his pals and family members.”
Peters mentioned a variety of New Zealand authorities businesses had been working with Indonesian authorities and others to safe the discharge for the previous 19 1/2 months. Officers had been additionally supporting Mehrtens’ household, Peters mentioned.
Many information retailers confirmed “cooperation and restraint” in reporting the story, he added.
“The case has taken a toll on the Mehrtens household, who’ve requested for privateness,” Peters mentioned. “We ask media retailers to respect their needs and due to this fact we have now no additional remark at this stage.”
New Zealand information retailers reported throughout Mehrtens’ captivity that he was one in every of a variety of expatriate pilots employed by Susi Air and in recent times lived in Bali along with his household.
Age 37 when he was kidnapped, Mehrtens was initially from the town of Christchurch, New Zealand, and educated as a pilot in his house nation, in response to the information retailers Stuff and the New Zealand Herald.
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Graham-McLay reported from Wellington, New Zealand.
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This story has been up to date with the proper spelling of the pilot’s first identify. It is Phillip, not Philip.
