1) Solomons maintain ‘balanced stance’ on West Papua issue, ahead of PM’s Indonesia trip

2) Papua security must remain priority: VP Amin,

3) Jubi media office firebombing part of systematic effort to silence press in Papua

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https://islandsbusiness.com/news-break/manele-on-west-papua/

1) Solomons maintain ‘balanced stance’ on West Papua issue, ahead of PM’s Indonesia trip

October 18, 2024 

Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has reaffirmed Solomon Islands’ measured approach to the West Papua issue, stating that his GNUT administration respects Indonesia’s sovereignty.

Speaking ahead of his departure to Indonesia this Friday, Manele addressed the media on his administration’s position on West Papua – a matter that has long been a sensitive topic in the Pacific region.

While acknowledging the complex nature of the West Papua issue, Manele said that there are two primary concerns: human rights violations and the ongoing call for self-determination. 

He reiterated Solomon Islands’ recognition of Indonesia’s sovereignty over West Papua and also the importance of resolving the self-determination question through peaceful dialogue and consultation with the Indonesian government.

“Our position on self-determination is clear. It’s an issue that must be approached through dialogue and consultation with Indonesia,” Manele stated. 

The Prime Minister also touched on human rights concerns in West Papua, an issue that has drawn international attention over the years. While reiterating respect for Indonesia’s sovereignty, Manele emphasised the importance of addressing human rights issues through constructive dialogue.

“We take the opportunity to express to Indonesia through dialogue that there are human rights issues they need to address. These include rights to land, access to resources, and other fundamental rights,” Manele noted, urging Indonesia to take these concerns seriously.

He also referred to existing mechanisms within the United Nations (UN) and regional bodies, stating that it is up to Indonesia to engage with institutions such as the UN Commission on Human Rights to allow further examination of the situation in West Papua. 

Manele also referred to the UN’s Committee of 24, which deals with decolonisation and self-determination matters, reaffirming that international bodies are available to address such issues. However, Solomon Islands will continue to encourage discussions between West Papua and Indonesia to find a peaceful solution.

In line with this, the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) has previously called on Indonesia to invite the UN Commission to visit West Papua and assess the human rights situation on the ground. 

Solomon Islands continues to advocate for a peaceful resolution to these critical issues through open dialogue and constructive engagement with Indonesia.

Manele will be traveling to Indonesia this Friday, to attend the inauguration ceremony for the new President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto and the Vice President Gibran Raka.

Indonesia has invited MSG countries or leaders to attend the inauguration ceremony.  The ceremony will be on Sunday, 20 October 2024 and the Prime Minister will return next Wednesday.

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https://en.antaranews.com/news/330221/papua-security-must-remain-priority-vp-amin

2) Papua security must remain priority: VP Amin,

 October 18

2024 19:39 GMT+700

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin emphasized that measures to maintain security and conduciveness in Papua region must remain the priority of all relevant parties.

"We must admit that violent incidents befalling civilians are still evident (in Papua)," he said while outlining directives related to the development and special autonomy of Papua at his palace in Jakarta on Friday.

Amin also extended his appreciation to security officers and law enforcers for taking immediate action to deal with each incident of violence.

He then expressed the hope that Papua will become even safer, while calling upon all people, including Papua residents, to live in harmony and collaborate to bring progress to Indonesia's easternmost region.

He further said that as chair of the Papua Special Autonomy Development Acceleration Steering Committee (BP3OKP), he has presided over a series of coordination meetings and made several visits to Papua since 2021.

"I have witnessed plenty of positive changes, including those related to the development of infrastructures and facilities as well as improvements in public services in four new autonomous regions," he added.

Related news: In Papua, TNI pursuing security with a humane face

He then stressed the importance of ensuring that central and regional governments remain duly committed to implementing policies that are oriented toward accelerating development in Papua.

"It is vital that we develop Papua in the spirit of togetherness, considering that Papua stands as an integral part of Indonesia's diversity and unity," he said.

Amin then drew attention to the upcoming simultaneous regional head elections in November, saying that Papua requires strong, professional, and reliable leaders to achieve progress.

"My message to whoever will be elected (as regional leaders) is to prioritize regional advancement and the welfare of people," he said.

Related news: Gov't should optimize socio-cultural approach to deal with OPM: DPR

Translator: Benardy F, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga

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https://www.indoleft.org/news/2024-10-16/jubi-media-office-firebombing-part-of-systematic-effort-to-silence-press-in-papua.html

3) Jubi media office firebombing part of systematic effort to silence press in Papua

Jubi Papua – October 16, 2024

Adlu Raharusun, Jayapura – A Molotov cocktail was thrown at the Jujur Bicara or Jubimedia editorial office in Jayapura, Papua, on the morning of Wednesday October 16. The alleged terror attack has attracted concern as well as criticism from journalist organisations.

Jayapura city Alliance of Independent Journalist (AJI) Chairperson Lucky Ireuw stated that the alleged terror attack against Jubi was a serious threat to the press freedom in the land of Papua. He also urged the police to thoroughly investigate the case.

"Terror against Jubi and press workers in the land of Papua has occurred repeatedly, but to this day has not yet been resolved [by the police]. AJI together with the LBH Pers [Legal Aid Institute for the Press] and all parties will oversee the handling of this case until it's resolved", said Ireuw.

Ireuw asserted that acts of terror and other attacks against Jubi would not shake the enthusiasm of journalists in voicing the truth in the land of Papua. However, he reminded all parties to respect and protect press freedom.

West Papua Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) Chairperson Bustam also urged the police to fully uncover and arrested the perpetrators so that similar incidents are not repeated.

"Attacks on the mass media are a real threat to press freedom, which is the main pillar of democracy. We condemn all forms of violence against journalists and the media. Such actions hamper the right of people to obtain true and fair information", Bustam said.

Papua-Maluku Indonesian Television Journalist Association (IJTI) Coordinator Chanry Suripatty stated that the Molotov's bomb attack on Jubi sets a bad precedent for press freedom in Papua. Therefore, the perpetrators and the motives for the attack must be revealed transparently.

"Attacks on the media cannot be taken lightly. This is not only a physical threat, but also a direct attack on press freedom, and democracy in the land of Papua", Suripatty said in a written statement.

Suripatty suspects that the alleged terror attack is an attempt to silence the mass media in the land of Papua. There is concern therefore that the incident will further increase acts of violence against and pressure on journalists in Papua

"We suspect this is a systematic effort to curb press freedom and democracy in the land of Papua. If press freedom continues to be intimidated, what is at stake is not only the right of journalists, but also the public's right to obtain information that is truthful, and balanced", said Suripatty.

[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Serangan Molotov Ke Jubi Cederai Kebebasan Pers".]

Source: https://jubi.id/polhukam/2024/serangan-molotov-ke-jubi-cederai-kebebasan-pers/

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The lawyers fighting for West Papua’s independence

https://lsj.com.au/articles/the-lawyers-fighting-for-west-papuas-independence/

 The lawyers fighting for West Papua’s independence

BY CAT WOODS - OCT 15, 2024 3:00 PM AEDT

This year marks nearly 30 years of East Timorese independence, but for West Papua, despite legal, social and international campaigning and pleas to the UN, independence remains an illusive goal owing to ongoing Indonesian occupation despite the 1969 Act of Free Choice. 

The Act of Free Choice 1969, contested by leaders of the West Papuan independence movement, handed control of West Papua to Indonesia in violation of international law, amounting to “alien domination” of a territory. There remains present violence, threats and military occupation of this territory.

On 23 September 23 this year, the International Lawyers for West Papua (ILWP) held a presentation in Port Moresby to outline the present situation. Australian lawyer and engineer, Tim Hansen pointed out that Indonesia’s illegal occupation of West Papua denied Papuans their human rights, and that the “rampant deforestation and mining” was exploitative; devastating “one of the most biodiverse forests on Earth.”

There are presently 25,000 Indonesian troops in West Papua and 40,000 internally displaced persons. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has not acted upon the 2019 West Papuan People’s Petition, signed by 1.7 million Papuans, calling for a referendum.

The Charter of the United Nations adopted Resolution 1514(XV) at the end of 1960. That Resolution was entitled ‘The Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples’, and it labelled the ‘subjection of peoples to alien subjection and exploitation’ as ‘contrary to the Charter of the United Nations and is an impediment to promotion of world peace and co-operation’.  It concluded:

“All peoples have the right to self-determination; by virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.”

Further, the Resolution urged the transfer of “all powers to the peoples of those territories, without any conditions or reservations, in accordance with their freely expressed will and desire, without any distinction as to race, creed or colour in order to enable them to enjoy complete independence and freedom” without delay.

Australian and international lawyers, scholars and activists have been ardent supporters of West Papuan independence for decades, and further action took place this year.

In August, the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) issued a communique repeating and reaffirming its 2019 call for a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights visit to West Papua to investigate Indonesia’s alleged crimes in West Papua. In September, the House of Commons hosted the first West Papua All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) to a collective of Labour and Independent MPs, addressed by Benny Wenda.

Jennifer Robinson is an Australian human rights lawyer and barrister with Doughty Street Chambers in London. She co-founded ILWP in April 2009.

“I have been working with the movement for self-determination for West Papua since 2002, when I was living in West Papua and working for a small human rights organisation defending political prisoners and investigating crimes against humanity committed by the Indonesian military and police,” she tells LSJ.

“At that time, Benny Wenda, the leader of the movement was in prison on false charges, and I worked on his defence. He escaped the prison and the country and I helped him and his family obtain asylum and citizenship in the UK where they now live.”

Wenda co-founded the United Liberation Movement for West Papua and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Robinson continues, “I also co-founded International Lawyers for West Papua, which is supported by prominent lawyers around the world, including Justice Elizabeth Evatt AC.  I worked with the Government of Vanuatu, as counsel, on the Chagos Islands case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to raise the legal issues relevant to West Papua’s situation – and the ICJ gave a judgment which sets down the principles we argued for – and which make clear that Indonesia is unlawfully occupying West Papua. This and our ongoing advocacy about the grave human rights violations suffered by West Papuans makes clear that this is a just cause, and one supported by international law.”

Indonesian Independence from the Dutch East Indies

The Republic of Indonesia declared independence on 17 August, 1945. It had previously been the colony of the Dutch East Indies. In 1949, the United Nations Commission on Indonesia was established and on 27 November, 1949, the Netherlands and Indonesia signed the Hague Agreement, by which the Netherlands transferred sovereignty over the Dutch East Indies to Indonesia.

West Papua, also colonised by the Dutch East Indies, was contested: would it be transitioned into Indonesian occupation, or remain under Dutch colonial rule?  The Dutch argument for West Papua remaining under colonial rule, eventually to seek independence, was that the Melanesian population of West Papua was racially, culturally and religiously different from the Malay Indonesians with little change of cohesive, peaceful stability under Indonesian rule. The Indonesian argument was that regardless of differences between the Indonesian and Papuan peoples, they had one vital factor in common: both populations had suffered under Dutch colonial rule.

In 1950, the Dutch insisted the future of West Papua be determined by the United Nations Commission on Indonesia or by the International Court of Justice, which Indonesia refused to endorse. Rather, over the following seven years, Indonesia submitted four draft Resolutions to the General Assembly, none of which were adopted.

By the end of 1957, it had become an increasingly symbolic show of power for Indonesia to claim West Papua from its former colonisers. Indonesia expelled the 50,000 Dutch nationals living in Indonesia in December 1957, and sent its military into West Papua to occupy the land by force. The Dutch had been preparing Papuans for a future independence through educating Papuans as bureaucrats, teachers, tradespeople, paramedics and police, primarily employed within the colonial administration. It was these highly educated, independence-minded Papuans who supported the Dutch Resolution to the General Assembly in 1961 that proposed West Papua be administered by the United Nations Commission until the population could vote on its future political status. The Resolution failed to achieve adoption via the necessary two-thirds majority of votes in the General Assembly, and months later, in December 1961, Indonesian President Sukarno organised a military task force to take West Papua by force.

Because Indonesia and the Netherlands could not come to a resolution, the United States proposed  administration of the territory for a minimum of seven months would be granted to the United Nations in the first instance, and then administration would pass to the Indonesians, with an act of self-determination for the Papuans taking place within a few years. No consultation with West Papuans took place at any point in these deliberations. That US proposal led to the New York Agreement, signed by the Netherlands and Indonesia on 15 August 1962. Thus, West Papua was under the administration of a United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) with an understanding that self-determination would result by the end of 1969.

Article XXII(1) of the New York Agreement outlined UNTEA and Indonesia would “guarantee fully the rights, including the rights of free speech, freedom of movement and of assembly, of the inhabitants of the area.” These rights would “include the existing rights of the inhabitants of the territory at the time of the transfer of administration to the UNTEA.” The detailed guidelines regarding the process towards self-determination within the Agreement were clear, however the administration of the Act of Free Choice was ultimately controlled by Indonesia.

Preceding the Act of Free Choice, the newly installed Indonesian administration banned all Papuan political parties in existence, including any unauthorised political activity. Mass violence perpetrated by the Indonesian military resulted in armed rebellions, and by 1965 the Papuan resistance movement, the OPM (Organisasi Papua Merdaka, or ‘Free Papua Movement’) was formed to resist Indonesian occupation.

The Indonesian military responded with counter-insurgency operations, in which many thousands of West Papuans were killed.

University of Wollongong-based West Papua Project

In 2000, The West Papua Project was established by Professor Peter King, Dr John Ondawame and Dr Jim Elmslie at the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney along with assistance from the Director of CPACS, Professor Stuart Rees. Since 2021, the project has been hosted by the University of Wollongong under the leadership of Dr Cammi Webb-Gannon, Ronny Kareni, and Dr Jim Elmslie.

The project has issued reports, academic articles and books over the past 24 years, along with organising workshops and conferences. The project brings together leading Papuan, Indonesian and international scholars and activists.

Dr Cammi Webb-Gannon is the Coordinator of the West Papua Project. She tells LSJ, “the Act of Free Choice is known by West Papuans as the Act of No Choice because it was supposed to be a plebiscite in which West Papuans were to choose whether they wanted continued annexation with Indonesia or political independence. Indonesia had never intended for it to go any other way than West Papuans becoming fully integrated with Indonesia under international law. So, Indonesia claimed that Papuans were too primitive to be able to understand the responsibility, or to make an informed decision, in a vote.

“Instead of using the internationally accepted practice of ‘one person, one vote’, Indonesia hand-picked about 1025 West Papuans, which was less than 0.01 per cent of the population, to vote for independence, and they threatened them with violence. So of course, if they didn’t vote for Indonesian rule – and they were under scrutiny – they were being threatened that they would have their tongues cut out if they didn’t vote the way Indonesia wanted them to.”

Dr Webb-Gannon adds, “The UN General Assembly ‘took note’ of the vote, the meaning of which is up for debate since there was no consensus. So, whether it was ever legal is still up for debate.”

A decade ago, in December 2014, West Papuan leaders, representing factions of the independence movement, gathered in Vanuatu to form a new body called the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP).

The ULMWP represents the Federal Republic of West Papua (NRFPB), National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL) and West Papua National Parliament (PNWP).

In December 2020, the ULMWP announced the formation of the Provisional Government of West Papua, which functions according to a presidential system. A full cabinet commanding 12 departments on the ground in West Papua was announced on May 1, 2021. Benny Wenda was appointed Interim President, with Edison Waromi as Interim Prime Minister.

Robinson reiterates, “Indonesia is violating customary international law because of its failure to provide the West Papuan people the genuine and free, lawful act of self-determination which was required of the 1962 New York Agreement – and customary international law. Rounding up a group of 1200 West Papuans leaders and forcing them to vote for annexation with Indonesia under threat of violence, which is what happened in 1969, is not a lawful act of self-determination.

“The ongoing occupation is unlawful, as is Indonesia’s exploitation of West Papua’s natural resources. It must come to an end. The West Papuan people are ready to govern themselves and they have the right under international law to do so.”

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1) Firebombing of news organization in Indonesia’s Papua region condemned as assault on ‘media freedom’

2) Ribka Haluk to make history as first female Papuan Minister

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https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/indonesian/id-terror-papua-10162024054737.html

1) Firebombing of news organization in Indonesia’s Papua region condemned as assault on ‘media freedom’

 Indonesian police have failed to solve previous attacks on Papuan media workers in recent years.

 Pizaro Gozali Idrus 2024.10.16 Jakarta

An attack on the editorial office of Papua-based media outlet Jubi on Wednesday using Molotov cocktails set fire to vehicles but resulted in no casualties, Indonesian police said.

The latest targeting of journalists in the Indonesian province has been condemned by human rights groups as a renewed assault on media freedom, after previous attacks remained unsolved by police.

Jubi is owned by Victor Mambor, who is a Jayapura-based stringer for BenarNews.

Heram Sectoral Police Chief Inspector Bernadus Ick confirmed an investigation is underway.

“These were indeed Molotov cocktails thrown at the Jubi editorial office,” Bernadus said in a press release, adding that forensic analysis of the materials used in the bombs is underway.

Jubi’s editor-in-chief, Jean Bisay, said the attackers on a motorcycle threw incendiary devices from the road in front of the Jubi office in Jayapura, igniting a fire between two parked vehicles. 

“The flames briefly engulfed the front of both vehicles before being extinguished by two Jubi employees and several eyewitnesses,” Bisay told BenarNews.

Witnesses told BenarNews the assailants had passed by the Jubi premises several times on Tuesday evening, stopping to observe the office, before departing and returning at 3:15 a.m. to throw two objects.

They said two individuals, who were dressed in black and on a motorcycle, appeared panicked and struggled to start their getaway vehicle when trying to flee. 

The Jayapura-based Independent Journalists Alliance (AJI), led by Lucky Ireeuw, said in a statement to BenarNews it “considers this terror a serious threat to media freedom in Papua.”

“The terror faced by Jubi and journalists in Papua has occurred repeatedly but remains unresolved to this day,” he added.

AJI’s 2023 annual report on the state of Indonesia’s media detailed 89 attacks against journalists and media organizations last year, the highest number in a decade.

In January 2023, Mambor, a veteran reporter known for covering rights abuses in heavily militarized Papua, said he was targeted in a bomb attack outside his home in Jayapura. No one was injured in the explosion.

Reporters Without Borders’ annual World Press Freedom Index 2024said the Indonesian military “carefully prevent the media from covering their use of force to suppress separatist protests in the three provinces that make up Papua, which continues to be an information blackhole where journalists cannot work.”

Gustaf Kawer, director of the Papua Human Rights Lawyers Association (PAHAM), urged the police to apprehend the individuals responsible and warned that otherwise it could lead to similar attacks. 

“If left unsolved, the public will wonder who is behind it. Are they outsiders or part of the authorities? I believe it is essential to clarify the perpetrators to prevent future incidents and ensure that the press can operate freely,” he said.

Frits Ramandey, head of the Papua Provincial Human Rights Commission, who also visited the crime scene, said similar incidents targeted local journalists in  2021 and 2023.

“If this is not addressed, the police will be complicit in allowing terror to occur everywhere,” he said

Papua, a region at the far-eastern end of Indonesia, has been the site of armed conflict for decades, driven by a desire for independence among some of its citizens. In 1963, Indonesian forces invaded Papua, which was also a former Dutch colony, and subsequently annexed the region. 

Papua was officially incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 following a United Nations-sponsored referendum. However, many locals and activists have condemned this referendum as a sham, as it involved only about 1,000 participants. 

Despite these concerns, the U.N. accepted the results, endorsing Jakarta’s governance of the region.

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https://indonesiabusinesspost.com/insider/ribka-haluk-to-make-history-as-first-female-papuan-minister/#:~:text=Ribka%20Haluk%2C%20the%20Acting%20Governor%20of%20Central%20Papua,region%20poised%20to%20serve%20as%20a%20Cabinet%20minister.

2) Ribka Haluk to make history as first female Papuan Minister

Julian Isaac

Ribka Haluk, the Acting Governor of Central Papua province, made history as the first indigenous woman from Papua’s mountainous region poised to serve as a Cabinet minister.

Ribka was among the key figures who met with President-elect Prabowo Subianto on Monday, October 14, 2024, signalling her potential inclusion in the Cabinet of Prabowo, who will officially be inaugurated as the country’s eighth president.

Ribka expressed her gratitude for the trust placed in her as a representative of Papua in the upcoming administration.

“I appreciate President-elect Prabowo for entrusting us, the people of Papua, to join his team,” she said, on Monday, October 14, 2024.

A highly regarded figure in Papua, Ribka Haluk has enjoyed a distinguished career as a bureaucrat. Born on January 10, 1971, in Piramid, Jayawijaya Regency, she began her career in 2001 in the Social, Population, and Civil Registration Office of Papua provincial administration.

Currently, she serves both as Acting Governor and the definitive Secretary of Central Papua Province.

During the administration of former Governor Lukas Enembe, Ribka held the role of Head of the Social Services Department for eight years. She was also appointed Acting Regent of Mappi in 2017 and Yalimo in 2021.

Ribka earned praise for her leadership during her tenure as Acting Regent of Yalimo, particularly for her ability to resolve a conflict stemming from a local election dispute.

“She was initially underestimated, but she succeeded in resolving the conflict,” Tito Karnavian, Minister of Home Affairs, said on Monday, October 14, 2024.

Her success in handling these challenges contributed to her appointment as Acting Governor of Central Papua in November 2022.

Tito acknowledged the significant challenges Ribka faced in this role, highlighting her capabilities and leadership.

Tito acknowledged the significant challenges Ribka faced in this role, highlighting her capabilities and leadership.

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Inside the relationship between West Papua and The Melanesian Spearhead Group

 https://www.abc.net.au/pacific/programs/politok/politok/104452514

Inside the relationship between West Papua and The Melanesian Spearhead Group

7h ago

Audio

In 2023 the Melanesian Spearhead Group rejected a push from pro-independence West Papuan activists to join the regional body.

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) had been pressing to gain full membership of the MSG for years.

So how significant is a seat at the MSG table? And what does this mean for West Papua's independence struggle?

Talent:

Vijay Naidu, Adjunct Professor University of the South Pacific

Benny Wenda, United Liberation Movement of West Papua Chairman

Ronny Kareni, West Papuan academic

Presenter:

Scott Waide

Credits

• Inga Stünzner, Executive Producer
• Kuntamari Crofts, Producer
• Jordan Fennell, Supervising Producer

• —————

We are not barbaric': Philip Mehrtens' captor and West Papua rebel leader denies bribery

 

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/530660/we-are-not-barbaric-philip-mehrtens-captor-and-west-papua-rebel-leader-denies-bribery

'We are not barbaric': Philip Mehrtens' captor and West Papua rebel leader denies bribery

29 minutes ago

Eleisha Foon, RNZ Pacific Senior Journalist

 @eleishafoon 

The leader of the rebel group who took New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens hostage has denied a bribe was involved in his release, offering an explanation on the motive behind the kidnapping.

General Egianus Kogoya, regional commander of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), claims the group achieved their mission to raise international awareness for West Papua's independence from Indonesia.

Philip Mehrtens was abducted by rebel group TPNPB in February 2023 and held hostage for over a year and a half before being freed on 21 September.

Originally from Christchurch, Mehrtens has since reunited with his wife and son, who live in Bali. His older brother Chris has since set up Givealittle page to support him.

"It has been a traumatic time for Phil and his wife and son, and it may take many months for them to re-establish their lives," Chris said.

As Mehrtens re-integrates back into "normal" life, Kogoya, the 20-year-old leader of the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement, explains the reasons for holding Mehrtens hostage.

Audio

He began by denying the involvement of a bribe in the release.

"There was no bribe. No bribe was received or will be received. Where is the evidence?" Kogoya exclaimed.

He said it was for "humanitarian reasons".

Following Mehrtens' release, West Papua National Liberation Army spokesperson Sebby Sambom claimed Kogoya was bribed by a local politician.

However, Kogoya claimed Sambom was "emotional" because he was not involved in the negotiations for the release.

In a statement, the Indonesian Embassy in Wellington said, "security forces only used persuasive approaches in the release and no reciprocal actions were requested by the captors before agreeing to release their hostage".

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters also disputed claims that a bribe was involved when Mehrtens was first released.

Pacific academic Steven Ratuva said internal conflicts and fractures within the rebel group might explain conflicting information provided by its members.

"The main purpose for the capture is independence. Political mission is our purpose. We want to tell people we are not barbaric. We are not terrorists. The Indonesian government criminalised us, calling as inhumane. But we want to tell people about our suffering in West Papua," Kogoya said.

Very little about West Papua reaches the outside world because Indonesia tightly controls access for foreign journalists and human rights monitors.

'Fight for independence'

The Free Papua Movement seeks the independence of Papua from Indonesia.

An increasingly deadly battle for independence has been waged in resource-rich Papua, which borders New Guinea and brought under Indonesian control in a controversial vote overseen by the United Nations in 1969.

The referendum, known as the Act of Free Choice, was contentious because the people who took part in the vote were picked by the Indonesian military.

The conflict has escalated significantly since 2018, with pro-independence fighters mounting deadlier and more frequent attacks, largely because they have managed to procure more sophisticated weapons.

Kogoya said that six decades of renewed calls for independence and desperation to free Papua from Indonesia contributed to the hostage-taking.

The international community "shut its eyes to the human rights abuses and discrimination West Papuans face", he said.

When Mehrtens was captured, Kogoya said they took him deep into the jungle, where he spent at least a month with the rebel group.

"We were in the jungle. There was no food. We ate leaves. Mehrtens was respectful and never tried to run away. He saw the way we lived, and we want him to tell everyone about his experience."

Kogoya said Mehrtens was then moved to a village, where he stayed with locals for the majority of his time and was provided food, including meat.

A West Papua Baptist Church Rev Sofyan Yoman assisted in the early negotiations of Mehrtens' release with Indonesia and the New Zealand ambassador in Jakarta.

"The pilot was amongst the local people. He stayed with the church leaders for more than a year," Rev Yoman said.

Rev Yoman said he was in contact with Kogoya's family, and he was instrumental in negotiations and Mehrtens' eventual freedom.

Kogoya said that they were "peaceful" towards Mehrtens and that no harm came to him.

He said they communicated with Mehrtens by "speaking Indonesian slowly and we use [hand] signs".

The area where Mehrtens was held remains an extremely dangerous place for West Papuans.

"We encouraged him not to run away. Our culture always respects human beings. He listened. He respected us and we respected him. We welcomed him as our brother."

During the capture, the West Papua National Liberation Army killed at least nine Indonesian army personnel, including special forces.

There were also reports that a woman working with Indonesian Police was killed by the militant group, but Kogoya has denied involvement.

He said Mehrtens spoke to his family and colleagues five times whilst in captivity.

In a statement, his family said, "those messages filled our souls and gave us hope and that we would eventually see Phil again". They thanked Kogoya and his army for keeping Mehrtens in good health and allowing him to get several messages to the family during his captivity.

When asked about a video where Mehrtens explained his life was at risk, Kogoya said it was a "tactic" to pressure Indonesia and New Zealand government to resolve the West Papua issue.

There was never any intention to kill Mehrtens, he added.

In August 2023, another New Zealand pilot, Glen Malcolm Conning, was killed after landing his helicopter in Alama, a remote village in Central Papua's Mimika district. No one has claimed responsibility for that attack, and the rebels and Indonesian authorities have blamed each other.

'Failure of the Indonesian government'

The influence of churches being mediators and communicating with rebel groups is common due to the "failure of the Indonesian government," Andreas Harsono of Human Rights Watch said.

"I am really ashamed to be Indonesian every time I landed in any West Papuan cities" due to the way the government treat West Papuans, he said.

He said Human Rights Watch continued to call on the Indonesian government to be held accountable for abuses against West Papuans and violating their rights.

Indigenous Papuans made up about 95 percent of the population in the 1960s; now they comprise only 43 percent, according to the latest census.

"They used to be many doctors, engineers, all those businesses were taken over. All those businesses were accused of being pro-Papuan independence and many of them are angry, not only those in the jungle but also in the cities."

The Indonesian Embassy responded in a statement, saying its government is "committed to its long-standing policy of respecting and promoting human rights and its strict policy of zero impunity of misconduct by its security forces...there can never be any justification for hostage taking".

Videos of the release, including a peaceful ceremony, showed Mehrtens saying goodbye to locals and receiving a chicken as a gift, which he carried into the helicopter, his ride to freedom.

Harsono, who was working for The Associated Press at the time, recalls interviewing hostages who claimed they were treated like locals.

He said there were "similarities with the 1996 kidnapping and the Philip Mehrtens hostage-taking."

He added Kogoya's father helped lead a previous hostage taking in West Papua in 1996. where TPNPB kidnapped 26 members of a World Wildlife Fund research mission in Mapenduma. All members were released.

West Papua v Indonesia

Indigenous West Papuans continue to demand a genuine vote on self-determination, through acts of civil disobedience, such as raising the banned "Morning Star" flag, which has become a symbol for their movement.

Activists pay a heavy price, including police and military brutality, and long jail sentences, for their cause.

Horsono said the Indonesian government was responsible for longstanding racial discrimination against West Papuans, as detailed in a recent report.

"The Indonesian government is responsible for suppression of widespread protests of University students. The students who protested against racism were tortured, arrested and were displaced."

Kogoya said: "We want international communities to know we are not barbaric; we are not terrorists. The Indonesian government criminalised us. We are not inhumane. We respect humanity."

Pacific academic Ratuva said: "For years and years they have been fighting for freedom. They have been trying to attract international attention. One of the options was to do what they did. I am not saying it was the right thing to do. The circumstances in their situation has created a condition where they ended up doing what they were doing."

He said the Indonesian government would have their own views and "narrative" on the hostage situation.

However, the issues West Papuans face can't be ignored, he added.

Kogoya said he wanted New Zealand to support West Papua in its goal for independence.

"New Zealand should play the role as mediator for West Papua in a dignified way."

New Zealand could play a role in advocating for open access to West Papua, where foreign media and human rights groups are shut out, and could assist in freeing political prisoners, Horsono said.

New Zealand continued to register its concerns with Indonesian authorities about human rights concerns in Papua, a spokesperson for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said last month.

"Maintaining open and constructive engagement with Indonesia is critical to improving the situation in Papua, and was key for the safe release of Mr Mehrtens," they said.

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