CoveragePost
March 2, 2023
By Rebecca Kuku in Port Moresby The three local female researchers who were kidnapped with Australia-based New Zealand professor Bryce Barker are being kept in a safe house and banned from speaking to news media. According to their families, the women were being kept in an undisclosed location for their safety with their mobile phones ... <a title="K100,000 ransom paid for release of PNG hostages clarified as ‘third party’" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/03/02/k100000-ransom-paid-for-release-of-png-hostages-clarified-as-third-party/" aria-label="Read more about K100,000 ransom paid for release of PNG hostages clarified as ‘third party’">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 1, 2023
Jubi News in Jayapura The Papuan Church Council has called on the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) unit led by Egianus Kogoya to immediately release the New Zealand hostage pilot Philip Mehrtens. The council’s request was delivered during a press conference attended by Reverend Benny Giai as moderator and member Reverend Socratez Sofyan Yoman ... <a title="Papuan churches plea to rebel leader Egianus Kogoya to free NZ pilot" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/03/01/papuan-churches-plea-to-rebel-leader-egianus-kogoya-to-free-nz-pilot/" aria-label="Read more about Papuan churches plea to rebel leader Egianus Kogoya to free NZ pilot">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 27, 2023
NBC News Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape has revealed that about K100,000 (about NZ$46,000) was paid to the kidnappers for the release of the three remaining hostages in the Bosavi mountains in the Southern Highlands province at the weekend. The three hostages, an Australian-resident New Zealand professor and his two female colleagues, were ... <a title="Marape clarifies kidnappers were paid K100,000 for freeing PNG hostages" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/27/marape-clarifies-kidnappers-were-paid-k100000-for-freeing-png-hostages/" aria-label="Read more about Marape clarifies kidnappers were paid K100,000 for freeing PNG hostages">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 27, 2023
ANALYSIS: By David Robie Two countries. A common border. Two hostage crises. But the responses of both Asia-Pacific nations have been like chalk and cheese. On February 7, a militant cell of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), the armed wing of the Free Papua Organisation (OPM) — a fragmented organisation that been fighting ... <a title="Two countries, two kidnappings – but Jakarta and Port Moresby responses different with 3 PNG hostages freed" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/27/two-countries-two-kidnappings-but-jakarta-and-port-moresby-responses-different-with-3-png-hostages-freed/" aria-label="Read more about Two countries, two kidnappings – but Jakarta and Port Moresby responses different with 3 PNG hostages freed">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 26, 2023
RNZ News A New Zealand professor and his two Papua New Guinean colleagues have been released from captivity, more than a week after being kidnapped by an armed gang. Archaeologist Professor Bryce Barker, who now lives in Australia and works with the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), was held alongside fellow members of his research ... <a title="‘Thank God’ says PM Marape in tweet about 3 freed hostages" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/26/thank-god-says-pm-marape-in-tweet-about-3-freed-hostages/" aria-label="Read more about ‘Thank God’ says PM Marape in tweet about 3 freed hostages">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 26, 2023
RNZ Pacific New Zealand police report that the number of people cited as uncontactable following Cyclone Gabrielle has dropped to eight — down from 13 on Friday night. Some of those were people who, “for a variety of reasons, do not engage with authorities”, police said in a statement. However, getting in touch with them ... <a title="Cyclone Gabrielle: Police report number of uncontactable people down to single figures" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/26/cyclone-gabrielle-police-report-number-of-uncontactable-people-down-to-single-figures/" aria-label="Read more about Cyclone Gabrielle: Police report number of uncontactable people down to single figures">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 24, 2023
RNZ Pacific Indonesian security forces were about to launch a rescue operation for a pilot held hostage in Papua before New Zealand intervened, reports ABC News. The ABC quoted Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security, Mahfud Mahmodin, as saying his forces knew the exact location of New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens, who was ... <a title="NZ government ‘intervened’ to stop operation to save pilot, says Jakarta" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/24/nz-government-intervened-to-stop-operation-to-save-pilot-says-jakarta/" aria-label="Read more about NZ government ‘intervened’ to stop operation to save pilot, says Jakarta">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 23, 2023
PNG Post-Courier As day five dawned in Papua New Guinea’s kidnapping drama, the family of one of the four hostages captives — one of three women held in the Bosavi mountains, Southern Highlands province — was relieved she was set free yesterday afternoon. The Post-Courier was reliably informed of the release by the gunmen, with ... <a title="Priority with ‘greedy’ kidnappers is to return captives to families, says PNG police chief" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/23/priority-with-greedy-kidnappers-is-to-return-captives-to-families-says-png-police-chief/" aria-label="Read more about Priority with ‘greedy’ kidnappers is to return captives to families, says PNG police chief">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 23, 2023
PNG Post-Courier The Post-Courier has exclusively been advised of the release of one of the women held captive by armed men in the Bosavi mountains, Southern Highlands. Police Commissioner David Manning confirmed with the newspaper that the woman was released yesterday afternoon with authorities working to bring her home. “The release of one of the ... <a title="PNG gunmen free one of 3 women held captive, reports Post-Courier" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/23/png-gunmen-free-one-of-3-women-held-captive-reports-post-courier/" aria-label="Read more about PNG gunmen free one of 3 women held captive, reports Post-Courier">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 22, 2023
PNG Post-Courier Papua New Guinean security forces have been authorised to use the full force of the law to secure the four captives being held hostage by an armed gang in Bosavi, Nipa-Kutubu, Southern Highlands province since Sunday. Police Commissioner David Manning said the abductors were being offered “a way out”. Manning described the gang ... <a title="Failure to free PNG hostages could cost captors ‘their lives’, warns police chief" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/22/failure-to-free-png-hostages-could-cost-captors-their-lives-warns-police-chief/" aria-label="Read more about Failure to free PNG hostages could cost captors ‘their lives’, warns police chief">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 22, 2023
PNG Post-Courier An Australian-based anthropology professor and three Papua New Guinean women researchers are being held captive inside the jungles of the Southern Highlands after they were kidnapped at gunpoint in Fogoma’iu village in the Bosavi LLG. Four local guides who were also seized were told to jump into the Hegigio river after being released ... <a title="PNG police negotiators try to win freedom for hostage researchers" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/22/png-police-negotiators-try-to-win-freedom-for-hostage-researchers/" aria-label="Read more about PNG police negotiators try to win freedom for hostage researchers">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 22, 2023
RNZ Pacific A West Papuan independence movement leader, Benny Wenda, says the release of New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens held hostage by armed rebels is out of his hands. The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) fighters kidnapped Mehrtens on February 7 after he landed a small commercial passenger plane in Nduga regency. The group ... <a title="Wenda calls on West Papuan rebels to release kidnapped NZ pilot" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/22/wenda-calls-on-west-papuan-rebels-to-release-kidnapped-nz-pilot/" aria-label="Read more about Wenda calls on West Papuan rebels to release kidnapped NZ pilot">Read more</a>
