A rebel group in Indonesia's conflict-hit West Papua has proposed terms for the release of a New Zealand pilot held hostage for a year and seven months while appealing to all parties to support the "humanitarian mission."
The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), the military wing of the Free Papua Movement, said on Sept. 17 that it would release Phillip Mark Mehrtens if its conditions were met. A number of those conditions were "to be followed" by the Indonesian government.
The rebel group has sought the involvement of a facilitator team that could include Bishop Yanuarius Teofilus Matopai You of Jayapura, representatives of the World Church Council, Papuan Council of Churches, International Human Rights Monitor, Pacific Conference of Churches, and representatives of New Zealand government.
"We have listed the names of the facilitator team so that all parties can take part," said TPNPB spokesman Sebby Sambon while adding "This is a humanitarian mission that must be supported by all parties."
Mehrtens was kidnapped on Feb. 7 last year after landing a small commercial plane in the remote mountainous area of Nduga in Papua.
The northern Christian-majority region has been a hotbed of conflict for more than six decades since it became a part of Indonesia following the end of Dutch colonial rule in the 1960s.
Sambon said the TPNPB has asked the Indonesian government "not to carry out military operations" and allow New Zealand to monitor the release of Mehrtens,
"If the Indonesian government does not comply, then we will cancel the release process until there is goodwill from both countries," he said.
Military spokesman in Papua Lieutenant Colonel Inf Candra Kurniawan questioned the TPNPB's "humanitarian" ground for releasing the pilot.
Their "actions and statements are not in sync," he said in a statement. However, he said the government was grateful for the news of Mehrtens' release. "The pilot's safety is a priority," he said.
Bishop You of Jayapura declined to comment on the rebels seeking him in the role of a facilitator for the pilot's release.
New Zealand's foreign ministry said it was aware of the TPNPB's release proposal.
"Our focus remains on achieving a peaceful resolution and the safe release of Phillip [Mehrtens]," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in an email to BBC News Indonesia.
"We continue to work with all parties to achieve this and will not discuss the details publicly," it added.
On Aug. 5, another New Zealand pilot, Glen Malcolm Conning, 50, was killed in Papua and security officials blamed TPNPB for his death. The armed rebel group, however, denied the allegation.
Despite being mineral-rich – home to the world's largest gold mine, as well as extensive sources of natural gas, minerals, timber and palm oil – the restive region remains one of the poorest and underdeveloped provinces in the country.
The Papuans want to free their region from Indonesian control but Indonesia looks to suppress it militarily.
The struggle, ongoing since 1962, is estimated to have killed up to 500,000 people. At least 300 people have died in the last decade.
Source: https://www.ucanews.com/news/papuan-rebels-set-terms-for-release-of-new-zealand-pilot/10644