TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian military announced on Thursday that a team that consists of joint military and police personnel (TNI-Polri) is prepared to conduct a rescue operation in freeing the New Zealand pilot Philips Max Mehrtens, who is currently taken hostage by armed separatists in Papua. 

The XVII/Cenderawasih military commander Maj. Gen. Muhammad Saleh Mustafa said this dedicated team is currently conducting a soft approach through local religious figures, public figures, and the Nduga region administration. “The exact time will not be disclosed as this is a confidential mission. But when the time comes, the TNI-Polri team will conduct a calculated enforcement,” Saleh wrote in a statement on February 16.

He asserted that the team conducting the operation will remain respectful towards the human rights aspect, which has been the subject of public criticism in terms of law enforcement activities in Papua. 

“There’s no doubt that the [operation] will not veer off from human rights,” said Saleh. What we are facing are not separatists actually, but terrorists who commit criminal violations.”

Moreover, he said Indonesia’s law enforcement has communicated this plan to the New Zealand Embassy. The military commander claimed that the embassy’s representative has shown support in the rescue operation of captain Philips Max Mehrtens.

The Papuan armed criminal group led by Egianus Kogoya, which is the National Liberation Army of West Papua (TPNPB), claimed responsibility for the incident. They said that the pilot and passengers had been taken hostage as the plane just landed at the Paro Airport in the Nduga Regency, Papua highlands.

In a written statement, the spokesperson for the Papuan armed criminal group, Sebby Sambom, said the aircraft was burned by a team led by Egianus Kogoya, who is considered to be one of the organization’s commanders. 

EKA YUDHA SAPUTRA | M ROSSENO AJI

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