A rebel group in Indonesia’s eastern region of Papua said on Wednesday it will release a New Zealand pilot it has held hostage for a year.<\/p>\n
It was unclear when the pilot, Philip Mehrtens, who was kidnapped exactly a year ago when he landed a small commercial plane in a mountainous area, would be released.<\/p>\n
Terianus Satto of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), one of several groups fighting for Papua’s independence from Indonesia, said in a statement that Mehrtens will be released to “protect humanity and… human rights”.<\/p>\n
“TPNPB will return the pilot Philip Max Martherns [sic] to his family through the jurisdiction of the Secretary General of the United Nations,” he said.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said: “New Zealand continues to work with all parties on securing Mr Mehrtens’ safe release. The Minister of Foreign Affairs has no further comment at this time.”<\/p>\n
A low-level but increasingly deadly battle for independence has been waged in the resource-rich western half of the island of Papua since it was controversially brought under Indonesian control in a vote overseen by the United Nations in 1969.<\/p>\n
Indonesia’s government and military, which have struggled to stamp out the separatist movement, had said they were in negotiations to free the pilot.<\/p>\n