New Zealand’s foreign minister urged the prompt liberation of Kiwi pilot Phillip Mehrtens, abducted by rebels in Indonesia’s Papua region a year ago.

An armed faction of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), led by Egianus Kogoya, abducted Phillip Mehrtens on Feb. 7, 2023, after he landed a small commercial plane in the remote, mountainous area of Nduga. The group threatened to shoot Mehrtens if talks about Papuan independence were denied.

“We strongly urge those holding Phillip to release him immediately and without harm. His continued detention serves the interests of no one,” New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.

A simmering but intensifying struggle for independence has unfolded in the resource-rich western half of the island of Papua since it was brought under Indonesian control in a UN-overseen vote in 1969. The eastern half of the island is an independent country, Papua New Guinea.

Since 2018, the Indonesian conflict has heightened, marked by pro-independence fighters launching increasingly lethal and frequent attacks, attributed to their acquisition of more advanced weaponry. The New Zealand foreign minister affirmed ongoing collaboration between government agencies and their Indonesian counterparts to secure Mehrtens’ release.

The Indonesian government has emphasized prioritizing negotiations with religious and community leaders to secure the pilot’s release, acknowledging the challenges of conducting a military operation in the rugged highland area.

TPNPB spokesperson Sebby Sambom echoed the call for Mehrtens’ release, emphasizing that no country has achieved independence by holding hostages. Despite this advice, the factionalized rebel group has not complied. The separatist group has released multiple videos of Mehrtens, urging the United Nations to mediate talks for Papua’s independence. In one video, he was shown holding the banned Morning Star flag, surrounded by Papuan fighters.