Free Papua army takes Kiwi pilot as hostage

A New Zealand-born pilot has been taken hostage by the armed wing of the Free Papuan Movement.

West Papuan National Liberation Army spokesman Sebby Sambom.

A New Zealand-born pilot for Indonesian airline Susi Air has been taken hostage by the armed wing of the Free Papuan Movement in what the secessionist group has claimed is in retaliation for support provided by Western nations – including Australia and New Zealand – to Indonesian security forces.

The West Papuan National Liberation Army (TPNPB) claimed responsibility for the attack on Tuesday and warned it would kill the pilot – named as Captain Phillip Mehrtens – “unless the Unitary Republic of Indonesia recognises and releases us from the colonial state of Indo­nesia (independent Papua)”.

Papua police spokesman Ignatius Benny Ady Prabowo confirmed the kidnapping of the New Zealand national, who was piloting a plane carrying five passengers early on Tuesday from Mozes Kilangin Airport in Mimika, in Central Papua, to Paro Airport in Nduga – a restive and highly militarised district with a long history of insurgency in the newly named Highland Papua province.

Jeremy Rumi, district manager for the airline owned by former fisheries minister Susi Pudjiastuti, said the plane took off from Mimika for Paro Airport before dawn on Tuesday but lost contact after it landed at 6.17am (10.17am AEDT).

A joint military and police investigation has been launched into the hostage taking and to reports that the plane had been torched on landing.

“The team will also investigate whether the accident caused the burning of the Susi Air Pilatus Porter plane or whether it … was set on fire by certain parties,” Senior Commissioner Prabowo said.

Aerial pictures of the jungle air strip provided by the Free Papua Movement (OPM) to The Australian appeared to show thick black smoke rising from a plane at the end of the tarmac.

Sebby Sambom, a spokesman for the TPNPB armed wing, said in a statement to The Australian that the group had released all five passengers on board the flight but was holding the pilot and would kill him if its demands were not met. “We want to convey that we have taken this pilot hostage and brought it to the TPNPB headquarters which is far from the airfield area,” he said, warning police and military not to carry out reprisal sweeps or make civilian arrests in the area.

“This pilot is a citizen of New Zealand. TPNPB considers New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, America, Europe, all are responsible. The US, Europe, Australia and New Zealand has supported the Indonesian government, trained the Indonesian National Police, supplied weapons to kill us West Papuans from 1963 to today. They must be held accountable.”