The Papuans promised to release the pilot captured a year ago (3 photos)

The Indonesian Papuans presented to the world community the alive and unharmed New Zealand pilot Philipp Mertens, who was captured by them on February 8, 2023. Not only was he not eaten, as Fishki predicted, but they also promised to let him go. But it is not exactly.





The background is as follows: A New Zealand pilot and six other passengers on a Susi Air plane were captured by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) in February 2023. They were kidnapped after their Susi Air light plane landed at the remote Paro airport in the mountainous Nduga region but never took off. It was captured and then burned by Papuan militants.



TPNPB members threatened to kill the hostages if the Indonesian authorities did not recognize the independence of the province of West Papua, but soon released all the captives except the pilot. They arranged a photo shoot with him, as well as with bows and machine guns. In the photos from a year ago, Mertens is wearing a black T-shirt with the slogan Free Papua, a denim jacket and a camouflage headdress.

Separatist spokesman Sebbi Sambom also accused the EU, UK, US, Australia and New Zealand of supporting the extermination of indigenous Papuans for 61 years.

As reported, "Indonesian authorities are taking all necessary measures to free the pilot." However, they do not seem to have succeeded in this.

But the Papuans have been periodically reporting to journalists about Mertens’ health status for a year now. And judging by the published photos, he was treated well in captivity, although in appearance he looks more like Robinson.



On February 6, the separatists said they had decided to release the pale man “in order to ensure human rights.” The pilot was allegedly ready to be handed over to the family through the jurisdiction of the UN Secretary General. However, they soon changed their minds and told Indonesian journalists that they were only going to talk about Mertens’ condition, and there was no talk of his release.

“You need a cow like this yourself!”