TPNPB-OPM Postpones Susi Air Pilot Release
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12 August 2024 21:07 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organization (TPNPB-OPM) announced a delay of the proposed release of Susi Air pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens. Spokesperson Sebby Sambom attributed it to the murder of New Zealand pilot Glen Malcolm Conning on August 5.
According to the Cartenz Peace Task Force, the helicopter pilot was shot dead by the OPM group. Commander of the Joint Regional Defense Operations Command (Pangkogabwilhan III) Lieutenant General Richard Tampubolon said that the armed criminal group fled to Nduga, Papua Mountains after the incident.
The TPNPB-OPM denied responsibility for the pilot’s murder, accusing the Indonesian Military of orchestrating the killing through the proxy of the Barisan Merah Putih group, under the leadership of Lenis Kogoya.
“So about the pilot (Philip), we plan to free him this month or next month,” Sebby told Tempo on Monday, August 12, 2024.
However, he said the OPM is currently focused on the aftermath of the helicopter pilot’s death and will hold a meeting to determine the next steps for Philip's release. Sebby previously claimed that the New Zealand pilot was a spy, but later retracted the statement.
The spokesperson for the Cartenz Peace Task Force, Sr. Comr. Bayu Suseno, dismissed the TPNPB-OPM's claims, accusing the group of fabricating accusations to deflect blame for the pilot's murder. He stressed that Sebby lacks basic knowledge of humanitarian law.
“The KKB often justifies their crimes,” he said in a written statement on Thursday, August 8, 2024.
Bayu asserted that the criminal group is responsible for numerous civilian deaths, including healthcare workers, teachers, and taxi drivers. “The last murder was the New Zealand pilot,”
Meanwhile, Chief of the Cartenz Peace Task Force Brig. Gen. Faizal Ramadhani, said he could not yet confirm which group killed Glen as investigation is still underway.
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