TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organization (TPNPB-OPM) Sebby Sambom, In his written statement said the New Zealand national pilot named Philips Max Marthen would not be released until New Zealand and other countries took responsibility. He said Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Europe must be held accountable for sending weapons and training the TNI-Polri against citizens. Papua.
“On that basis, the pilot will be a guarantee for the United Nations, Europe, America and Australia to speak because those who sent war equipment to Indonesia, trained them to kill us for 60 years. Therefore one pilot was taken hostage,” said Sambom in a voice message, February 7, 2023.
Response America
KKB Papua has given an ultimatum to several countries, including the United States, to release the pilot from New Zealand if they want to release him.
United States of America in an email reply to Tempo did not mention weapons assistance and training of the TNI-Polri against Papuans. The embassy also did not answer when asked whether it had communicated with the government about the New Zealand pilot. The Embassies of the European Union, Australia, and the UN representative in Jakarta have yet to respond to a similar question from Tempo.
TNI Commander Admiral Yudo Margono told reporters on Wednesday, 8 February 2023, denied that the pilot from New Zealand was being held hostage by TPNPB-OPM. According to him, Captain Philip saved himself after his plane was allegedly set on fire. He said the joint TNI-Polri team had so far succeeded in detecting the location of the Susi Air pilot.
“He (the pilot) was threatened, he was finally saved by maybe one of the people there,” he said.
TPNPB-OPM Indonesian Ultimatum
Sebby Sambom through his written statement also demanded that the Government of Indonesia close all flight routes into Nduga Regency. Sambon demanded members of the TNI-Polri not to shoot or interrogate Nduga civilians.
“We TPNPB Kodap III Ndugama-Derakma will not release the pilot we are holding hostage, unless the Unitary Republic of Indonesia recognizes and releases us from the colonial state of Indonesia (independent Papua),” said Sebby quoting Kogoya’s statement, Tuesday 7 February 2023.
In the report, Egianus Kogoya claimed that his troops had taken hostage the pilot of the Susi Air plane. He said this was the second time the TPNPB-OPM had taken hostages since the Lorenz Team in 1996 in Mapnduma.
“Our pilot has been taken hostage and we are on the way out. For this reason, TNI-Polri members cannot shoot or interrogate Nduga civil society indiscriminately because those who did it were us TPNPB OPM Kodap III Ndugama-Derakma under the Commander in Chief Brigadier General Egianus Kogoya,” Kogoya said in his report.
Apart from that, they also demanded that the construction that had been carried out by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia on Ndugama land be completely stopped. If development activities are still found, said Sebby, they will threaten to wipe out all existing developments.
“Jakarta cannot play games with us. We are ready personally, physically, mentally, geographically, we are ready. TPNPB will take over our land again through a total revolution. Jokowi still wants to ‘play’ with us, Mas, alon-alon as an joke, please, arep opo Mas Jokowi,” said Sebby Sambom in an audio message, February 7, 2023.
Pilot Location Known
In order to thoroughly investigate this case, National Police Chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo said the Carstensz Damai Operation team in Papua would be deployed to rescue the pilot and passengers of the Susi Air plane who were being held hostage.
TNI Commander Admiral Yudo Margono said the joint TNI-Polri team managed to detect the location of the pilot of the Susi Air plane which was previously claimed by the Armed Criminal Group (KKB) as hostage in Paro District, Nduga Regency, Papua, 7 February 2023.
“Not yet (evacuated) but detected. So with earlier we evacuated 15 (puskesmas workers), the priority now is to find the pilot,” Yudo Margono told reporters, Wednesday, February 8, 2023.
Previously, the TPNPB-OPM Troop led by Egianus Kogoya claimed responsibility for burning and sabotaging the Airline plane. Susie Water. They also kidnapped pilot Captain Philip Merthin and passengers who had just landed at Paro Airport, Nduga Regency, Papua Mountains on Tuesday morning, February 7 2023.
DANIEL A. FAJRI | Haris Setyawan | EKA YUDHA SAPUTRA
Editor’s Choice: Hostage Pilot and Passenger Susi Air, TPNPB-OPM Leader: Release Papua
