New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens released by Indonesian rebels after being abducted more than 19 months ago

A New Zealand pilot has been freed from captivity aft being abducted aboriginal past twelvemonth upon landing astatine a distant Indonesian airport, wherever separatist rebels acceptable his tiny level connected fire.  

Phillip Mehrtens, a 38-year-old moving for Indonesian aviation institution Susi Air astatine the clip of his abduction successful Papua connected Feb. 7, 2023, told reporters connected Saturday, "Today I yet got out. … I americium truthful blessed to beryllium backmost location with my household soon." 

"Thank you to everyone who helped maine get retired safely and healthy," Mehrtens added during a quality league successful the mining municipality of Timika, which is located westbound of the distant airstrip successful Paro wherever helium had been taken captive. 

Television quality earlier showed an emaciated, long-haired Mehrtens, wearing a dark-green garment and achromatic shorts, sitting successful a country surrounded by constabulary officers and section officials, according to The Associated Press. He sobbed portion talking to his household via video and an serviceman tried to calm him down by patting his back. He was aboriginal flown to Jakarta to beryllium reunited with his family. 

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New Zealand aviator Phillip Mehrtens, left, who was held hostage for much than a twelvemonth successful Indonesia's restive Papua region, sits with constabulary officers aft his merchandise successful Timika, connected Saturday, Sept. 21.  (Satgas Damai Cartenz via AP)

"I’m grateful Phillip Mehrtens has been released aft much than 19 months successful captivity," New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon wrote connected X. "My appreciation to each those successful Indonesia and New Zealand who person supported this affirmative result for Phillip and his family." 

The AP reports that rebels person utilized violence to effort to execute independence arsenic the information concern deteriorates successful Indonesia’s easternmost portion of Papua, a erstwhile Dutch colony successful the occidental portion of New Guinea that is ethnically and culturally chiseled from overmuch of Indonesia. 

Papua was incorporated into Indonesia successful 1969 nether a United Nations-sponsored ballot that was wide seen arsenic a sham, the quality bureau adds. Since then, a low-level insurgency has simmered. The struggle spiked successful the past year, with dozens of rebels, information forces and civilians killed. 

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New Zealand aviator Phillip Mehrtens talks to the media pursuing his merchandise connected Saturday. (AP/Endy Langobelen)

At the clip of his abduction, rebel spokesperson Sebby Sambom was quoted arsenic saying that "we volition ne'er merchandise the aviator we are holding hostage unless Indonesia recognizes and frees Papua from Indonesian colonialism." 

However, connected Tuesday, leaders of the West Papua Liberation Army, the equipped helping of the Free Papua Movement, issued a connection for freeing Mehrtens that outlined presumption including quality media engagement successful his release, according to the AP. 

Indonesian constabulary spokesperson Bayu Suseno said Saturday that Mehrtens’ merchandise was the effect of hard enactment from a tiny task unit squad that had been communicating with the separatists done a section religion and assemblage leaders arsenic good arsenic younker figures. 

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters besides said that a wide scope of authorities agencies had been moving with Indonesian authorities and others to unafraid the merchandise of Mehrtens for the past 19 1/2 months. Officials were besides supporting Mehrtens’ family, Peters said. 

New Zealand aviator Phillip Mehrtens, who was held hostage for much than a year, sits aft his merchandise connected Saturday, Sept. 21. (Satgas Damai Cartenz via AP)

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"This was done a precise agelong dialog process and our patience not to bash it repressively," added Indonesia President Joko Widodo. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.