NZ pilot’s kidnappers tell Indonesia to negotiate – BBC
By Jerome Wirawan & George Wright
BBC News in Jakarta and London
Separatists in Indonesia’s Papua region who took a New Zealand pilot hostage in February have told authorities to stop searching for him, and to start negotiating.
Philip Mehrtens was kidnapped after landing his plane in Papua’s remote mountainous province of Nduga.
He is being held by West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) fighters.
“The pilot is still with us,” TPNPB spokesperson Sebby Sambom told BBC Indonesian in a message.
“The Indonesian government has to be bold and sit with us on a negotiation table and not [deploy] military and police to search the pilot,” he added.
He denied reports that the group was prepared to drop a demand for the Indonesian government to recognise Papuan independence before they could consider freeing him.
The Reuters news agency reported on Thursday that Mr Sambom indicated this could be the case.
“The demand for Papua’s independence has already conveyed from a long time ago….
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