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“I love you”. The wife and son of New Zealand pilot Philip M.* (38), who was kidnapped in 2023, had to wait exactly a year for these words. Her beloved father and husband are held captive for a year by armed jungle rebels in the Indonesian province of Papua.
M. landed in a small plane when the rebels set fire to the plane on February 16 and kidnapped the 38-year-old. A shock to his family. Since that day, his wife and son have feared for the life of the professional pilot.
They threatened him with execution
After the kidnapping, supporters of the ‘West Papua Liberation Army’ sent several video messages to the governments of Indonesia and New Zealand. The focus of the recordings was always on Philip M., surrounded by heavily armed soldiers. Their goal: the separatists want to use their hostage to convince politicians to grant the province independence status. If this does not happen, M. will have to be executed.
Now the 38-year-old was finally allowed to contact his family. The emaciated hostage with chin-length hair and full beard speaks directly to his wife and their son. “I hope you and Jakob are healthy and that you receive support. I miss you.”
“I stay positive”
He is doing well so far, his guards ‘take care of him’, M. continues. He tries to stay cheerful and thinks about his family every day. The commander of the West Papua Liberation Army promised to arrange a phone call with M’s family this week.
The video was recorded in December 2023, but has only now become public. In a second video that went viral on social media, M. asked the New Zealand government to send aid to Papua to ease his captivity. “Can you please send an inhaler or two over here in case I have an asthma attack?” He further asked for an e-reader with “as many English books on it as possible.”
The conflict between the people of Papua and the Indonesian government has been simmering for more than 80 years. Papua has been controlled by Indonesia since 1969, after the country held a controversial referendum with UN help. (An)
*Name known
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
