New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens released after nearly 2 years in captivity in West Papua

New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens has been released after being held captive for over a year and a half in Indonesia’s West Papua region by the West Papua National Liberation Army. The rebels offered terms for his release, including allowing media access and suspending military operations during the process. The TPNPB, the armed wing of the Free West Papua Movement, has been pushing for independence from Indonesia since 1969. The conflict in West Papua has resulted in serious human rights abuses, including child killings, disappearances, torture, and mass displacement of people. UN experts have called for urgent humanitarian access to the region. Mehrtens’ kidnapping has brought renewed attention to the ongoing conflict in the region and the plight of Indigenous West Papuans. The New Zealand government and foreign minister Winston Peters have confirmed Mehrtens’ release and are working on his safe return. The situation highlights the need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in West Papua and the importance of respecting the rights of Indigenous peoples in the region.

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