M Julnis Firmansyah, Jakarta – The Central Executive Board of the West Papua National Committee (BPP-KNPB) is pushing the government to involve third parties in the effort to free Susi Air pilot Captain Philip Marten.

The New Zealand national pilot is presumably being held hostage by the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organization (TPNPB-OPM).

The BPP-KNPB said that the Indonesian government must open up and push for peace negotiations for the release of the hostage.

"Peace negotiations must be mediated by a third party so that the Indonesian government and the Papuan people can sit together by involving actors in Papua," BPP-KNPB spokesman Ones Suhuniap said in a statement, Tuesday, February 14.

Ones hopes that the incident will not create a war between the TNI and TPNPB. He hopes that the two sides will immediately reach a ceasefire and encourage peaceful negotiations.

"Because a war between the military force and the TPNPB will only do harm to everyone involved, jeopardizing the lives of TNI soldiers, the TPNPB member, as well as the pilot held hostage," Ones said.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1691208/govt-urged-to-involve-third-party-in-negotiating-opm-hostage-releas