Papua Armed Criminal Group have released photos and videos of a man they say is the New Zealand pilot they took hostage last week, Wednesday (2/15). The group has taken hostage the Susi Air pilot, Phillip Mehrtens after he landed his small commercial plane in the remote mountainous region of Nduga last week.
The flight had five passengers and was due to pick up 15 construction workers who had been building a clinic in Paro. The rebels said they allowed the five passengers to leave because they were Indigenous Papuans.
Rebel spokesperson Sebby Sambom on Tuesday sent the videos and photos to media, including the Associated Press news agency. The video and photos showed a man identified as Mehrtens standing in a forest surrounded by a group of people armed with rifles, spears as well as bows and arrows.
In one video, the man was ordered by the rebels to say, “Indonesia must recognise Papua is independent.”
“I took him hostage for Papua independence, not for food or drinks,” said Egianus Kogoya in the video. “He will be safe with me as long as Indonesia does not use its arms, either from the air or on the ground.”
The government in Jakarta said it was making every effort to persuade the group to release Mehrtens.
“Taking civilians hostage for any reason is unacceptable,” said Mahfud MD, the coordinating minister for political, security and legal affairs.
He said persuasion is the best method to ensure hostage safety, but the government does not rule out other efforts.
A spokesperson for New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade told Al Jazeera: “We are aware of the photos and video circulating but won’t be commenting further at this stage.”