A New Zealand pilot being held hostage by separatists in Indonesia’s Papua region has appeared in videos calling for the UN to mediate in the resource-rich region’s conflict.
Phillip Mehrtens, a pilot for the domestic Susi Air service, was abducted last month after landing at an airstrip in Nduga district by the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (OPM).
“OPM requests the United Nations to mediate between Papua and Indonesia in order to work towards Papuan independence,” Mehrtens said in one of three videos, echoing an earlier statement in which he said he would be released only if Papua gained independence.
According to OPM spokesperson Sebby Sambom, they were shot on March 6.
Since the region, which was once governed by the Netherlands, was brought under Indonesian control following a U.N.-supervised vote in 1969 that critics say was flawed, Papua has seen a separatist insurgency.
Foreigners have rarely been kidnapped in the region, but the conflict has deteriorated since 2018, with rebels carrying out more lethal and frequent attacks.
On Friday, J.O. Sembiring, an Indonesian military commander in Papua, told reporters that the footage was “propaganda” and that authorities were still looking for Mehrtens.
When asked about the OPM’s call for U.N. mediation, he said, there is “no negotiation with terrorists by the state”.
Officials have attempted to secure Mehrtens’ release through dialogue, stating that a “law enforcement operation” would be the last resort.
Mehrtens read a statement in one video while sitting in a jungle clearing surrounded by a group of men, some with guns and one with a bow. Mehrtens, who was dressed in a blue jacket, beige trousers, and a camouflage hat, said he had been told to read the statement.
“Until Papua is independent, no foreign pilots are permitted to work or fly in Papua,” he said.
In another, a separatist urged New Zealand, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, and Russia to end military cooperation with Indonesia.
Mehrtens also requested that any unpaid wages be given to his family for food and bills.
“Please don’t be concerned about me. I am being cared for as well as can be expected given the circumstances “He said in a video that he was getting enough food and water, as well as warm clothing and medicine.
“Hopefully, we’ll be able to get together soon,” he said.
