Phillip Mehrtens was taken captive by the West Papua Liberation Army when he landed his tiny commercial jet in the rugged, uninhabited district of Nduga last week. Only five people were on board, but they were on their way to pick up fifteen laborers who had been constructing a clinic in Paro. The five passengers were permitted to leave by the rebels allegedly because of their status as Indigenous Papuans. On Tuesday, Sebby Sambom, a spokeswoman for the rebel group, provided media outlets, including the Associated Press news agency, footage and photographs of a guy described as Mehrtens standing in a woodland surrounded by a number of individuals armed with weapons, spears, and bows and arrows.
In one video, a guy can be heard saying, “Indonesia must recognize Papua as independent,” as directed by the separatists. Rebel commander Egianus Kogoya is shown in a video with a man who he claims he kidnapped for political purposes rather than for food or alcohol. For as long as Indonesia doesn’t start dropping bombs on us, he’ll be safe with me. Jakarta’s government has pledged its best efforts to convince the gang to free Mehrtens. Mohammad Mahfud, coordinating minister for political, security, and legal issues, said in a video statement released late Tuesday, “Taking citizens hostage is abhorrent for whatever reason.” He stated that while persuasion is the most effective strategy, “the government does not rule out other methods” in protecting hostages. New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade informed Al Jazeera, “We are aware of the photographs and video circulating but won’t be commenting more at this moment.” Since Indonesia annexed the resource-rich territory in a disputed referendum supported by the United Nations in 1969, a low-level armed insurrection has been brewing in the province. The majority of the Papuans are Christians and ethnic Melanesians who have little in common with the rest of Indonesia, which is overwhelmingly Muslim. Papua comprises the western half of the island of Papua New Guinea.
Since 2018, when insurgents massacred more than two dozen persons working on a road project in Nduga, the war has deteriorated dramatically. Massive protests in 2019 sparked by allegations of bigotry against Indigenous Papuans by other Indonesians resulted in the evacuation of thousands of people. It is common for rebels to attack construction workers because they mistake them for spies working for the Indonesian government. The 15 laborers Mehrtens was supposed to pick up from Koyoga’s group had taken sanctuary with religious authorities after receiving death threats. Many parts of the mountainous region can only be reached by air.
