A separatist group in the Papua region of Indonesia has threatened to kill a New Zealand pilot they have held hostage since February unless countries respond to their demand to begin secession talks within two months, according to a new video released by the group on Friday.
In the video, pilot Philip Mertens appears noticeably emaciated, holding a banned Morning Star flag that symbolizes the independence of West Papua, surrounded by armed Papuans waving what one analyst described as Indonesian-made assault rifles.
Mertens stated on camera that the separatists wish to involve countries other than Indonesia in dialogue regarding Papua's independence. He added, "If this does not happen within two months, they say they will shoot me."
The video was shared by Sebi Sampom, the spokesperson for the separatists in Papua, and verified by an analyst at the Conflict Analysis Policy Institute, Dika Anwar.
A spokesperson for the New Zealand foreign ministry stated in an email to Reuters on Saturday that the ministry is aware of the circulating images and videos, noting that "we are doing everything we can to secure a peaceful resolution and ensure Mertens's safe release."
The pilot, Philip Mertens, was abducted by armed guerrillas in the Central Highlands of Papua who seek to separate Papua from Indonesia after he landed a commercial plane in the mountainous Nduga region.
A limited but increasingly deadly struggle for independence has been ongoing in the resource-rich Papua region since it was controversially subjected to Indonesian sovereignty in a United Nations-supervised vote in 1969.
