Papua Separatist Group Criticizes Indonesian Govt for its Inability to Free Susi Air's New Zealander Pilot

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Spokesperson for the Papua separatist group, or the West Papua National Liberation Army-Organization of Free Papua (TPNPB-OPM) Sebby Sambom claimed that the Indonesian government and its security forces were unable to free Susi Air's New Zealander pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens, who was held hostage by Egianus Kogoya's group in Nduga, Papua Mountains. Philip has been held hostage by the OPM since February 2023.

"Admit it, the army and police are unable to free this pilot, the government is also unable," he said when contacted on Sunday, August 4, 2024.

Because of this inability, said Sebby, his party decided to free the pilot from New Zealand in their own way. However, he did not explain what kind of method would be used to free Philip later.

Sebby said that he would immediately make a proposal to release the Susi Air pilot. The release proposal was made by TPNPB-OPM Headquarters officials after a dialogue with the OPM leader in the Nduga region, Egianus Kogoya.

"I have spoken and the result is that the Commander (Egianus) agreed for us to release the pilot," he said.

He requested that the government follow the release proposal that would be made. According to him, with this release proposal, the security forces have no reason not to agree.

Because, according to Sebby, the security forces are only tasked with security. Even the government was asked to respect the decision to release the Susi Air pilot by TPNPB-OPM.

"This is not the government's initiative to release the pilot, this is our initiative. Therefore, the government should respect our cooperation," he said.

Contacted separately, Head of Public Relations of the Cartenz 2024 Peace Task Force, Grand Commissioner Bayu Suseno said that the plan to release Philip by TPNPB-OPM was just a propaganda. He considered that the propaganda had often been carried out by the armed criminal group since 2023.

"They are criminals, doing propaganda is what they are used to," said Bayu, Sunday, August 4, 2024.

Bayu revealed that the OPM's tendency to carry out propaganda was not only about the release of the Susi Air pilot. The OPM, he said, frequently uses the accusation of government spies to propagandize instances involving the deaths of civilians.

"The criminal soul is inherent in them. So they will justify all means to realize their crimes," he said.

NOVALI PANJI NUGROHO

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