Timika – Kompolnas Commissioner, Poengky Indarti, highlighted the efforts of the Cartenz Peace Task Force in releasing Susi Air pilot Captain Philips Mertens. He considered the security forces to work very carefully.
“So far they have been very careful. The difficult terrain in Nduga and the surrounding areas has also become an obstacle to the release of the hostages,” said Poengky, Jakarta, Saturday, July 8, 2023.
Poengky said in the release of the Susi Air pilot, there needed to be cooperation between a number of parties. Moreover, the group holding the hostages made Susi Air pilots to support its goals, namely Papuan independence.
“However, the method used by the Egianus Kogoya group actually violated national and international human rights law, because taking hostage-taking is a method of violence,” he said.
Captain Philip was taken hostage by TPNPB Kodap III Ndugama under the leadership of Egianus Kogoya on February 7, 2023. Apart from taking Philip hostage, the Egianus group burned the plane that the pilot from New Zealand was carrying.
