A faction of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) took New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens hostage after he landed a Susi Air plane in Nduga, Papua, on 7 February 2023. The group then held him for more than 19 months. Finally, he walked free on 21 September 2024 after negotiations involving Indonesian and New Zealand authorities.
What happened on 7 February 2023?
Mehrtens, a pilot for the Indonesian airline Susi Air, landed a small commercial plane at the remote Paro airstrip in Nduga, in Papua’s highlands. Soon after, separatist fighters set the plane alight and took him hostage (Reuters). According to Reuters, a TPNPB faction led by Egianus Kogoya carried out the kidnapping (Reuters). However, the group released the five passengers, all indigenous Papuans (Nduga hostage crisis).
Why was he taken?
At first, the group demanded that Indonesia recognise Papuan independence. Later, in April 2023, it told Reuters it was prepared to drop that demand and seek dialogue (Reuters). Over the following months, the captors also released several videos of Mehrtens, some including threats against his life (Nduga hostage crisis).
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Timeline of the hostage case
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 7 February 2023 | Fighters take Mehrtens hostage at Paro, Nduga, and burn his plane |
| 14 February 2023 | A week later, the TPNPB releases photos and videos of Mehrtens |
| 15 April 2023 | Fighters attack soldiers searching for Mehrtens in Nduga; the TPNPB claims it killed nine soldiers, while the military initially confirms one death |
| 2023–2024 | Meanwhile, New Zealand and Indonesian authorities, with local leaders, pursue negotiations; New Zealand repeatedly calls for his release |
| 21 September 2024 | Finally, the captors free Mehrtens in Nduga, and authorities fly him to Jakarta |
Sources: Reuters, February 2023; Reuters, April 2023; Reuters, September 2024; Wikipedia.
How many people died during the crisis?
However, the exact toll remains disputed. After the April 2023 attack on troops searching for Mehrtens, the TPNPB claimed to have killed nine soldiers, while the military initially said one had died and that communication with other units was difficult (Reuters). Later reports, by contrast, put the number of soldiers killed in that attack at six or more (Nduga hostage crisis).
How was Mehrtens released?
His captors freed him on 21 September 2024 in Nduga. After that, medical staff checked him in Timika, and authorities flew him to Jakarta and handed him to New Zealand officials (Reuters).
- Indonesia: President Joko Widodo said the government had pursued “the long process of negotiation, with patience not to do it repressively”, with the pilot’s safety as its priority (Reuters).
- New Zealand: Foreign Minister Winston Peters said government agencies had worked with Indonesian authorities and others for 19 and a half months to secure the release (New Zealand Government). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon thanked “all those in Indonesia and New Zealand” who supported the outcome (Reuters).
Have other pilots been attacked in Papua?
Yes. For example, in August 2024 another New Zealand pilot, Glen Malcolm Conning, died at the hands of separatist rebels after landing his helicopter in a remote area, according to authorities (Reuters). Then, in July 2026, the TPNPB shot dead American pilot Nicholas F. Gosselin in Yahukimo and burned his plane (Reuters). In both the 2023 and 2026 cases, moreover, the passengers on board were Papuans (Nduga hostage crisis; Reuters). For the wider picture, see What Is the Current Situation in West Papua?
Who are the TPNPB?
In brief, the TPNPB is the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), and it consists of separate factions. In 2021, Indonesia designated armed Papuan separatists as terrorists. For a full explanation, see What Are the OPM and the TPNPB?
Papua Movement reports security incidents like this one with every claim attributed to its source, as set out in our Editorial Policy.
Sources
- Reuters: New Zealand pilot taken hostage in Indonesia – Papuan rebel group (8 February 2023)
- Reuters: Rebels in Indonesia’s Papua say they killed 9 soldiers; army says 1 died (16 April 2023)
- Reuters: New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens freed from captivity in Indonesia’s Papua (21 September 2024)
- Reuters: Indonesia recovers body of American pilot killed by rebels in Papua, military says (3 July 2026)
- New Zealand Government (Beehive): New Zealand hostage released (September 2024)
- Wikipedia: Nduga hostage crisis
Featured image: A Susi Air aircraft at Werur airport, Tambrauw, Southwest Papua (2018). This is not the aircraft involved in the 2023 hostage case. Photo: Abihut / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
