CoveragePost
January 31, 2025
Pacific Media Watch A West Papuan advocacy group is calling for an urgent international inquiry into allegations that Indonesian security forces have used the chemical weapon white phosphorus against West Papuans for a second time. The allegations were made in the new documentary, Frontier War, by Paradise Broadcasting. In the film, West Papuan civilians give ... <a title="Wenda calls for international inquiry into film claim that Indonesia is using chemical weapons in West Papua" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/01/31/wenda-calls-for-international-inquiry-into-film-claim-that-indonesia-is-using-chemical-weapons-in-west-papua/" aria-label="Read more about Wenda calls for international inquiry into film claim that Indonesia is using chemical weapons in West Papua">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 3, 2024
Jubi News Negotiations for the release of New Zealand pilot Phillip Mark Mehrtens, who has been held captive by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) for more than a year, has been hindered by customary issues and “interference of other parties”, say the Indonesian police. Senior Commander Faizal Ramadhani, head of the Cartenz Peace ... <a title="Talks over NZ hostage pilot release stalled by ‘third party’, say police" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/03/03/talks-over-nz-hostage-pilot-release-stalled-by-third-party-say-police/" aria-label="Read more about Talks over NZ hostage pilot release stalled by ‘third party’, say police">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 6, 2024
RNZ Pacific The New Zealand government is again calling on the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) to release the kidnapped pilot Phillip Mehrtens. Tomorrow will mark one year since the 38-year-old New Zealander was taken hostage in Papua by independence fighters in the Nduga Regency province. Mehrtens was taken hostage a year ago on ... <a title="NZ govt seeks release of Kiwi hostage pilot Phillip Mehrtens in West Papua" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/02/06/nz-govt-seeks-release-of-kiwi-hostage-pilot-phillip-mehrtens-in-west-papua/" aria-label="Read more about NZ govt seeks release of Kiwi hostage pilot Phillip Mehrtens in West Papua">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
September 29, 2023
Asia Pacific Report Members of Indonesia’s Nduga District Police and the Damai Cartenz Police Task Force have raided a residential house and the local head office of the Papuan Tabernacle Church (Kingmi Papua) in the town of Kenyam, Nduga Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province, reports Human Rights Monitor. Before raiding the Kingmi Papua office on September ... <a title="Indonesian police raid church office, home in Nduga – arrest six, torture 12" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/09/29/indonesian-police-raid-church-office-home-in-nduga-arrest-six-torture-12/" aria-label="Read more about Indonesian police raid church office, home in Nduga – arrest six, torture 12">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 15, 2023
ANALYSIS: By Damien Kingsbury, Deakin University New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens has now been held hostage in West Papua for four months. Stalled attempts to negotiate his release, and an unsuccessful Indonesian military rescue attempt, suggest a confused picture behind the scenes. Members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) kidnapped Mehrtens on February ... <a title="I was involved in stalled talks to free kidnapped NZ pilot in West Papua. What happens now?" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/06/15/i-was-involved-in-stalled-talks-to-free-kidnapped-nz-pilot-in-west-papua-what-happens-now/" aria-label="Read more about I was involved in stalled talks to free kidnapped NZ pilot in West Papua. What happens now?">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
April 28, 2023
Jubi News in Jayapura Captured pilot Philip Mehrtens has called on the Indonesian government to stop military operations in the Nduga highlands in a bid to rescue him while his West Papuan rebel captors have condemned New Zealand for alleged “collusion” with Jakarta. According to Mehrtens, last weekend the Indonesian military (TNI) dropped bombs on ... <a title="West Papuan rebels condemn NZ for ‘collusion’ with Indonesia, risks to hostage pilot safety" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/04/28/west-papuan-rebels-condemn-nz-for-collusion-with-indonesia-risks-to-hostage-pilot-safety/" aria-label="Read more about West Papuan rebels condemn NZ for ‘collusion’ with Indonesia, risks to hostage pilot safety">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
April 23, 2023
Asia Pacific Report Indonesian security forces have intensified operations in various conflict areas in West Papua, reports Human Rights Monitor. According to information received by the international watchdog, security force members have raided villages and set residential houses on fire. The raids reportedly occurred in conflict hotspots in West Papua, predominantly in the Puncak, Nduga, ... <a title="Indonesian security crackdown in West Papua – ‘traumatising raids, torture’" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/04/23/indonesian-security-crackdown-in-west-papua-traumatising-raids-torture/" aria-label="Read more about Indonesian security crackdown in West Papua – ‘traumatising raids, torture’">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
April 19, 2023
RNZ Pacific The Indonesian military has officially escalated its operational status in West Papua to “ground combat ready” following a clash with West Papuan National Liberation Army militants over the weekend with multiple casualties reported on both sides. Military (TNI) commander Admiral Yudo Margono made the announcement in Jakarta yesterday after returning from West Papua. ... <a title="Indonesia upgrades NZ pilot operation in West Papua to ‘combat ready’" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/04/19/indonesia-upgrades-nz-pilot-operation-in-west-papua-to-combat-ready/" aria-label="Read more about Indonesia upgrades NZ pilot operation in West Papua to ‘combat ready’">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 28, 2023
By Finau Fonua, RNZ Pacific journalist, and Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Indonesian security forces in Papua last week launched an offensive against the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) command holding New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens hostage, RNZ Pacific can confirm. The operation was launched at 1am local time on Thursday, March 23, in ... <a title="Indonesian security forces attack West Papuan rebels holding NZ pilot" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/03/28/indonesian-security-forces-attack-west-papuan-rebels-holding-nz-pilot/" aria-label="Read more about Indonesian security forces attack West Papuan rebels holding NZ pilot">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 16, 2023
BACKGROUNDER: By David Robie Papuan independence rebels are playing a desperate game of cat and mouse with Indonesian authorities over their hostage taking last week with a New Zealand pilot caught in the middle. Christchurch-raised Philip Mehrtens, 37, a pilot for the national feeder airline Susi Air owned by a former cabinet minister and with ... <a title="Papuan cat-and-mouse over NZ pilot taken captive by ‘freedom’ rebels" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/16/papuan-cat-and-mouse-over-nz-pilot-taken-captive-by-freedom-rebels/" aria-label="Read more about Papuan cat-and-mouse over NZ pilot taken captive by ‘freedom’ rebels">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 13, 2023
ANALYSIS: By Camellia Webb-Gannon, University of Wollongong “Phil Mehrtens is the nicest guy, he genuinely is — no one ever had anything bad to say about him,” says a colleague of the New Zealand pilot taken hostage last week by members of the West Papuan National Liberation Army (TPN-PB) in the mountainous Nduga Regency. How ... <a title="Why a NZ pilot is a pawn in the West Papua conflict that the world ignores" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/13/why-a-nz-pilot-is-a-pawn-in-the-west-papua-conflict-that-the-world-ignores/" aria-label="Read more about Why a NZ pilot is a pawn in the West Papua conflict that the world ignores">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 9, 2023
Jubi News in Jayapura Indonesian security forces do not know the whereabouts of the New Zealand pilot taken hostage by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) on Tuesday, Captain Philip Mehrtens, a pilot for Susi Air, was taken hostage following the burning of his aircraft in Paro district, Nduga regency, in a rugged part ... <a title="Indonesian security forces ‘have no idea’ where NZ pilot hostage is" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/09/indonesian-security-forces-have-no-idea-where-nz-pilot-hostage-is/" aria-label="Read more about Indonesian security forces ‘have no idea’ where NZ pilot hostage is">Read more</a>
