RNZ Pacific
New Zealand hostage Phillip Mehrtens, who is being held by pro-independence fighters in West Papua, appears well in a newly-released video.
It comes as concerns were expressed for the pilot as fighting between Indonesian security forces and his captors, the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), intensified last week.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said he had received reports of the increased military confrontations and again called on the pro-independence group to release Mehrtens.
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In the new video, which is poor quality, Mehrtens called on Indonesia to stop airstrikes in Nduga, saying they were unneccesary and put his life and the lives of other innocents at ris
The video statement was released by the TPNPB central command and purportedly filmed on Monday in Nduga.
The Susi Air pilot was taken hostage by the Liberation Army fighters on February 7 shortly after landing on a remote Paro airstrip in Nduga in the Papua highlands.
The video received by RNZ Pacific shows Mehrtens sitting between two West Papuans — he speaks first in Bahasa Indonesian and then in English. He said:
“Good afternoon, today is Monday the 24th of April 2023.
“It’s almost three months since OPM [the Free WEST Papua Movement] kidnapped me from Paro. As you can see I am still alive. I am healthy, I have been eating well, drinking. I live with the people here.
“We travel together as required, we sit together, we rest together. Indonesia’s been dropping bombs in the area over the last week.
“Please, there is no need, it is dangerous for me and everybody here. Thank you for your support.”
The TPNPB issued a statement accompanying the video file urging Indonesia to stop its military operation to try and rescue Mehrtens and calling on New Zealand to mediate and initiate negotiations for his release.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with Asia Pacific Report and RNZ.
