A scary incident that could be straight out of a Hollywood thriller occurred on February 7, 2023. A pilot was kidnapped by armed rebels for political gain. Unfortunately for 37 year-old Phillip Mark Mehrtens, this is real life.
Mehrtens was taken by the members of the West Papua Liberation Army in Paro, a subdistrict in Papua, Indonesia. This group is part of the Free Papua Movement, which does not believe Papua should be part of Indonesia. They are fighting for their independence in any way possible but claim that Mehrtens is safe.
To back up this claim, Sebby Sambom, a rebel leader, sent video footage of Mehrtens to the Associated Press. It shows a man who they claim is Mehrtens surrounded by armed rebels. Another video shows Merhrtens saying, “Indonesia must recognize Papua is independent.”
Mehrtens works for the Indonesian charter airline Susi Air. On the day of his kidnapping, he was attempting to pick up 15 construction workers. These workers were in the country to build a health center. This is when things went wrong.
One of the passengers on the plane when it landed was district chief Namia Gwijangge. He described how the rebels set fire to the plane and took Mehrtens.
“We deeply regret this incident,” he said.
In the videos, Sambom confirms the other five passengers were allowed to go because they were indigenous Papuans. Mehrtens is from New Zealand, so he was not so lucky. Sambom and his group are trying to make a point.
Egianus Kogoya, another rebel leader, agrees with Sambom. “I took [the pilot] hostage for Papua independence, not for food or drinks. He will be safe with me as long as Indonesia does not use its arms, either from the air or on the ground,” he said.
Mathius Fakhiri, the Papua police chief, wants the world to know that authorities are working hard to get Mehrtens home. Police and community leaders are working together. They all want a peaceful ending to this situation.
In 1960, Papua stopped being a Dutch colony. There was a brief period of complete autonomy before ultimately being subjugated by Indonesia. Many want their freedom back.
Mohammad Mahfud, coordinating minister for political, security, and legal affairs, does not believe this. He will not negotiate Indonesia’s position away.
“Papua will forever remain a legitimate part of the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia,” he insisted.
