The September 21, 2024 release of New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens from the hands of the armed Papua separatist group and the apparent dispute between factions in the group have provoked speculation that the armed wing of the separatist group operates as an independent unit without one command structure.
Spokesman of the Cartenz Peace Operation Task Force, Senior Commissioner Bayu Suseno, said Phillip was released and picked up by members of the joint task force of Indonesian police and military in Yoguru village, Maibarok District, Nduga regency, Papua and then flown to the police’s Mobile Brigade (Brimob) headquarters in Timika.
Chief of the Cartenz Peace Operation Task Force, Brigadier General Faizal Ramadhani, said the government has taken various measures to release Phillip, who had been taken hostage for more than 1.5 years by the Egianus Kogoya-led armed separatist group, by among others communicating with religious and church figures, customary leaders and close family of Kogoya.
“After a long period of approaches with those figures, all those measures have eventually borne fruit with the release of Pilot Phillip Mehrtens. He was fetched by a joint team of Indonesian military and police,” he cited.
Spokesman of the West Papua Liberation Army (TPN-PB) – the armed wing of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) − Sebby Sembom has accused that the Egianus Kogoya group had received hundreds of billions of rupiah in bribes from the Indonesian military and police before they released Phillip.
“The Egianus Kogoya group has betrayed the National Command of TPN-PB. They are truly a criminal group who has taken the pilot hostage only for money,” Sebby said.
“By handing over the pilot to the Indonesian military and police, the Egianus Kogoya group has surrendered and bowed down to the military and police,” he added.
Sebby cited that the bribes and the negotiation were facilitated by Finnish negotiator Juha Christensen, who was involved in the Free Aceh Movement negotiation in early 2000s.
“People of mountainous areas in Papua believe white people, so the Indonesian government hired a white man to enter the headquarters of Egianus Kogoya group.“ he said.
Actually, Sebby Sambom added, the West Papua Liberation Army has published a detail proposal for Phillip’s release and handover, which included the request for UN support and facilitation in ensuring a peaceful and safe process.
”Those who betrayed us and received bribes will be executed,” Sebby said.
Intelligence Analyst at the University of Indonesia, Stanislaus Riyanta, said conflict between the Egianus Kogoya group and the West Papua Liberation Army shows that there is no one command structure between the TPN-PB and the Egianus Kogoya group.
“There is a posibility of overclaim. They are not under one command and each of them has their respective interests,” Riyanta said.
“The internal division in the armed separatist group will benefit the Indonesian military and police. The division is a success of the Indonesian security institutions’ non-combat operations. It must be appreciated,” he added.
