He has been trapped in the hands of Papua's armed rebels for a year. Now Philip Mehrtens talks about the situation on site in a video.
Jakarta – Around twelve months after the kidnapping of the New Zealand pilot in the Indonesian province of Papua, the rebels have released a video of their hostage. Philip Mehrtens' face is pale, his hair long, his beard disheveled – the difficult situation is immediately apparent. Nevertheless, he tries to remain optimistic and sends greetings to his family.
In the hands of the rebels for a year: pilot sends signs of life
The video was recorded on December 22, 2023 and has now been published. Mehrtens begins with the words: “Hello, here I am,” and forces a timid smile. “I'm fine, they treat me well. I'm trying to stay positive and I hope that you and Jacob are healthy and well and have support.” The 38-year-old has been living separately from his wife and child in the hands of the jungle rebels for a year .
Rebels fight for independence – the army's liberation operation fails
At the beginning of 2023, separatist rebels set fire to a small airliner at Paro airport in western Bhutan and took the pilot hostage. The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) claimed responsibility for the attack. It has been occurring repeatedly for years in the Papua region, which belongs to the western half of New Guinea and is administered by Indonesia violent clashes in the pursuit of independence.
After the hostage-taking, an operation by the Indonesian army against the armed wing of the “Free Papua Movement” also failed. There were reports of six dead and 30 missing. Additionally, access to the isolated and rugged highland terrain where Mehrtens is believed to be held is extremely difficult.
Leader announces the release of the hostage – but when is the time?
However, a week ago there was a surprising turn of events The Guardian reports: “In order to protect humanity and human rights, the leadership of the national headquarters of the West Papua Liberation Army will return Philip Mark Mehrtens to his family,” the leader announced.
In a video message he expresses his desire for an inhaler in case he gets asthma and an e-book reader with “as many English-language books as possible.” The date of his release is still uncertain, and Mehrtens does not expect that he will see his family again soon.
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