TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Papua Police on Friday announced that the armed separatist group under Egianus Kagoya’s leadership had asked for an Rp5 billion ransom for the release of New Zealand Pilot captain Philips Max Mehrtens who had been taken hostage for the past couple of months. Police only noted this detail now despite the request coming from the separatist group early into the hostage situation.

“They demanded an Rp5 billion ransom in the early days of the hostage situation,” said the Papua Police spokesperson Grand Commissioner Ignatius Benny on Friday, June 30, 2023.

The police spokesman said that authorities initially intended to meet the demands by sourcing the huge amount of money from the Papua government’s local budget, however, the separatist group closed its communications with Indonesian authorities.

“There had been no communication with the Egianus Kogoya-led separatist group,” he explained.

New Zealand pilot Philips Max Mehrtens has been taken hostage by the OPM separatist groups since February 7, 2023, after the Susi Air charter plane he piloted lost contact as he approached the Paro Airport located in the Papua Highlands Province on February. It was only revealed that the plane was attacked and burned by OPM members led by Egianus.

The plane captained by Philips carried five passengers and took off from the Mozes Kilangan Airports at the Mimika Regency in the Nduga Regency. The five passengers were freed while Philips Max Mehrtens was taken hostage since.

Egianus Kogoya has threatened other countries to force Indonesia to acknowledge OPM’s independence at the cost of Captain Philip’s livelihood if their requests are not met. Police have opened communication with the separatist group in multiple attempts to free Captain Philips but to no avail.

M ROSSENO AJI

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