How a kidnapped pilot put Free Papua movement in the spotlight

New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens was held for 19 months, drawing international attention to violent insurgency in Indonesia

Photo collage of three Papuan students at a rally, wearing Morning Star flag T-shirts, marching solemnly with their fists raised. In the background, there is a vintage photo of an Indonesian warship.
Mehrtens' release came after months of diplomatic efforts by Wellington and Jakarta
(Image credit: Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images)

A New Zealand pilot held prisoner for more than 19 months by armed insurgents has been freed. 

Phillip Mehrtens was taken hostage in 2023 when he landed a small commercial plane in the remote, "restive" region of Papua, a "resource-rich former Dutch colony" that is part of modern-day Indonesia, said CNN. His captors had "hoped to press New Zealand to lobby Indonesia" to meet their "seemingly impossible demand": Papuan independence.

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Harriet Marsden is a writer for The Week, mostly covering UK and global news and politics. Before joining the site, she was a freelance journalist for seven years, specialising in social affairs, gender equality and culture. She worked for The Guardian, The Times and The Independent, and regularly contributed articles to The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The New Statesman, Tortoise Media and Metro, as well as appearing on BBC Radio London, Times Radio and “Woman’s Hour”. She has a master’s in international journalism from City University, London, and was awarded the "journalist-at-large" fellowship by the Local Trust charity in 2021.