CNN —Militant rebels in Indonesia’s restive West Papua are urging their most feared comrade to release a New Zealand pilot held hostage for a year.
Mehrtens’ captors initially threatened to kill him unless New Zealand agreed to pressure Indonesia into allowing West Papua to secede from Indonesia, a seemingly impossible demand.
West Papua separatist fighters release images of their hostage soon after his capture in February 2023.
West Papua National Liberation ArmyFailed rescue effortsGrainy proof of life videos sent by the rebels between February and November 2023 show Mehrtens growing thinner and more unkempt.
“The Indonesian response is dictated by the Indonesian military and their view is that they will hunt down this group, kill the leaders and release Mehrtens,” Kingsbury said.
Persons:
Eganius Koyega, Phillip Mehrtens, Mehrtens ’, Mehrtens, Koyega, ” Koyega, ” TPNPB, Terryanus Satto, aren’t, hasn’t, Damien Kingsbury, ”, Winston Peters, Christmas Phillip, ” Peters, ” Kingsbury, “, Cammi Webb, Gannon, ’ ”, Webb, ” Webb, TPNB, Andreas Harsono, Prabowo Subianto, “ Prabowo, ” Harsono
Organizations:
CNN — Militant, New, Koyega, West Papuan National Liberation Army, Free Papua Movement, West Papua National Liberation Army, Indonesian Army, New Zealand, New Zealand Foreign Affairs, New Zealand Government, CNN, Australia’s University of Wollongong, Indonesian, Human Rights Watch, Rights, West
Locations:
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