New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens has been freed by rebels in Indonesia’s Papua region after being kidnapped for 19 months. Indonesian police have confirmed Mehrtens has been flown out of the remote area of Nduga and appears to be in good health. The fighters from the West Papua National Liberation Army had demanded Papua’s independence in exchange for Mehrtens’s release.
The New Zealand government has confirmed Mehrtens is safe and well and has been able to communicate with his family. The decision to release Mehrtens comes after ongoing efforts by Indonesian authorities to resolve the conflict in Papua. The Indigenous people of Papua, who are ethnically Melanesian, have been fighting for independence from Indonesia since its controversial incorporation into the country.
The rebels had proposed new terms for Mehrtens’s release, which ultimately resulted in his freedom. Indonesian police have announced that a news conference will be held to provide further details on his release. Foreign Minister Winston Peters expressed relief at the news, stating that it must be an enormous relief for Mehrtens’s friends and loved ones.
Overall, Mehrtens’s release marks a positive development in the ongoing conflict in Papua and a welcome relief for his family and supporters. The New Zealand pilot’s well-being and safety are currently being ensured through health checks and examinations.
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