OPM Vows to Free New Zealand Pilot through UN Jurisdiction

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The West Papua National Liberation Army of Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM) announced in its latest release that New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens, who has been held hostage since the past year, will be freed to protect humanity and human rights. However, they did not mention the date.

“We will return [the pilot to his family] through the jurisdiction of the Secretary General of the United Nations,” said the TPNPB Chief of General Staff Terianus Satto in his statement received by Tempo on Wednesday, Feb. 7.

In its release, the OPM also published several recent photos of the Susi Air pilot has been abducted by the OPM Regional Defense Command III Ndugama Darakma led by Egianus Kogoya since February 7, 2023.

According to Terianus, Mehrtens was not their primary target. The pilot was used as collateral for the Indonesian government's violation of allowing civil flights into the OPM area in Nduga Regency.

According to Terianus, TPNPB-OPM suspected that the pilot was carrying out a pioneer operation which was an Indonesian intelligence operation to spy on TPNPB movements.

“The Indonesian and New Zealand governments have been unable to open up peace negotiations with the Papuan people for the release of the pilot for the past year,” said Terianus.

TPNPB-OPM also threatened President Joko Widodo or Jokowi and the Indonesian government in West Papua for failing to meet their demands for the release of the pilot. “The New Zealand government doesn't want to accept TNPB's generous offer,” he said.

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