Bow and arrow-wielding rebels threaten to execute hostage pilot over demands
The armed rebels who kidnapped a New Zealand pilot have threatened to execute him if their demands aren't met.
New footage has emerged of captive Philip Mehrtens surrounded by rebels with guns and bow and arrows, with one fighter warning Mehrtens "will die here" if the Indonesian army tried to rescue him.
Rebel spokesperson Sebby Sambom wrote Mr Mehrtens will be held hostage for negotiations with Indonesia but warned that if terms weren't met then the pilot "will be executed".
The Indonesian government has stood firm, saying Papua will "forever remain a legitimate part" of Indonesia.
Rebels stormed Philip Mehrtens' single-engine plane after it landed in the remote mountainous province of Nduga, in the Indonesian province of Highland Papua.
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Separatist fighters holding Phillip Mark Mehrtens (AP)They set the plane on fire and released the five local passengers, but detained the 37-year-old pilot. They promised to treat him humanely.
The separatists are members of the West Papua National Liberation Army - which is the armed wing of the Free Papua Organisation (OPM) - which is fighting for independence from Indonesia.
In what appeared to be a gagged statement, the pilot stated the rebel's demands on the video - voicing the dispute which dates back to Indonesia seizing control of the region in the Sixties.
Undated photo released by West Papua Liberation Army showing New Zealander pilot Phillip Mark Mehrtens (AP)The BBC received the video, which showed Mr Mehrtens wearing dark shorts, a denim jacket and a black t-shirt, while surrounded by gun and bow and arrow-wielding rebels.
The rebels pledged to release the pilot if Papua was granted independence.
In another video, the Kiwi addresses the camera in the Indonesian language: "Papua dan OPM ditangkap saya untuk Papua Merdeka," he said.
Video has emerged of rebels torching the plane"The Papuan military have taken me captive in their fight for Papuan independence."
One photo showed Captain Mehrtens shaking hands with rebel leader Egianus Kogoya.
A West Papua National Liberation Army spokesman told BBC Indonesian that Mr Mehrtens had been moved to a stronghold district for the group in a remote area, and he would be used as "leverage" in political negotiations.
New footage has emerged of captive Mehrtens surrounded by rebels (AP)Kogoya's rebels also took 15 construction workers hostage the next day and threatened to kill them, but Indonesian security forces managed to rescue them.
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Previously a Dutch colony, Papua declared independence in 1961, but Indonesia took control two years later.
Conflicts between indigenous Papuans and the Indonesian authorities are common and since 2018 they have ramped up.
In 1996 rebels kept 11 hostages for more than four months, including four Britons and two from the Netherlands.
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