New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens freed by Papua rebels

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

Philip Mehrtens was kidnapped by West Papua National Liberation Army fighters in February 2023 and was released after lengthy negotiations into the care of Indonesian authorities on Saturday.

He appeared before the cameras looking thin and with a full beard, but he is said to be in good health.

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

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

“Thank you to everyone who helped me today, so that I could come out of the accident safely.”

His release follows months of “critical” diplomatic efforts by authorities in Wellington and Jakarta.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon welcomed the release and New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters added: “His family will be absolutely thrilled.”

Indonesian police spokesman Bayu Suseno said Mr Mehrtens was released and picked up from a village called Yuguru in Maibarok district before being flown to the town of Timika.

Several days before his release, the rebels told the BBC’s Indonesian service that they would release Mr Mehrtens “safely and in accordance with international human rights standards”.

“We, the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), remain committed to upholding the values ​​of peace, respect and dignity in this situation,” said spokesperson Sebby Sambom.

The pilot, a father of one, is flown to Jakarta to be reunited with his family.

He was kidnapped after his small passenger plane – owned by Indonesian airline Susi Air – landed in Nduga in February last year.

It was due to return a few hours later after dropping off five passengers, but shortly after landing, rebels targeted the single-engine plane and captured it.

The other five passengers, who were indigenous Papuans, were released.

The abduction is part of a long-running, often brutally violent, conflict between the Indonesian government and the indigenous people of West Papua.

In April, At least one Indonesian soldier killed after being ambushed by rebels while searching for the kidnapped New Zealander in the Papua region.

Last month, another New Zealand driver, Glen Malcolm Conning, 50, was shot dead by a pro-independence group known as the Free Papua Organization (OPM) after landing in the area with two Indonesian health workers and two children, all of whom survived.

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

A spokesman for the West Papua National Liberation Army had previously told the BBC’s Indonesian service 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 had been able to secure Mr Mehrtens’ safety through ongoing negotiations, not through force.

“We gave priority to the safety of the pilot who was being held hostage. It took time,” he told reporters.

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

Papuan rebels demanding independence from Indonesia have already issued threats and attacked planes they suspect are carrying personnel and supplies to Jakarta.

The resource-rich region has been locked in a battle for independence since it was brought under Indonesian control in a controversial UN-supervised vote in 1969.

Conflicts between indigenous Papuans and Indonesian authorities have become common since then, Independence fighters have been increasing attacks since 2018.