An Open Letter coordinated by West Papua Action Aotearoa has been sent to Prime Minister Hipkins and Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta regarding the hostage situation West Papua.

“This is now extremely urgent as Indonesia is proposing to implement a ‘combat alert operation’ in the area,” says West Papua Action Aotearoa spokesperson, Catherine Delahunty

“Their military heavy approach will only extend the cycle of violence and instil more fear and resentment toward the government rather than resolve the current crisis and return the NZ pilot to safety”

The Open Letter has been endorsed signed by a range of organisations – both local and international and by several prominent individuals. It urges the Government to take up the call of the West Papuan Church leaders for the withdrawal of forces and a ‘humanitarian pause’ in its ongoing negotiations with the Government of Indonesia and the TPNPB aimed at the release of New Zealand citizen Philip Mehrtens.

“The Government is also being asked to call on Indonesia to allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit West Papua given the gravity of the present situation, and to allow an external party to be involved in the talks with the West Papua Liberation Army (TPNPB) to achieve a peaceful solution to the impasse”. Ms Delahunty said.

Please find below an appeal for New Zealand to take urgent action aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution of the crisis in Nduga involving hostage Philip Mehrtens and the indigenous people of Nduga.

This letter has been endorsed at short notice by a wide range of organisations, community leaders and prominent individuals. We believe that their participation in this initiative indicates very broad support for the New Zealand Government to take this proposed peace initiative.

13 May 2023

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins

Prime Minister

c.hipkins@ministers.govt.nz

Hon Nanaia Mahuta

Minister of Foreign Affairs

n.mahuta@ministers.govt.nz

Parliament Buildings

Wellington

Kia Ora Prime Minister Hipkins and Foreign Minister Mahuta,

We know that you share our deep concern for the safety and wellbeing of Pilot Philip Mehrtens who was abducted by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) on 7 February 2023. In the succeeding weeks fears for Philip’s safety and that of the local community have escalated as more and more military have poured into the Nduga area. Tragically there have been several killings on both sides. Villagers have been forced to flee their homes and food gardens, risking their health in a desperate effort to escape the conflict.

We are especially worried currently because the Indonesian authorities have announced proposal to implement a ‘combat alert operation’ in the area. There have been reports, including from Philip Mehrtens himself, of bombing in the area. This military heavy approach will only extend the cycle of violence and instil more fear and resentment toward the government.

As you know West Papuan resistance to Indonesian rule dates from 1963 when Indonesia first took administrative control of the region. The armed resistance movement, the Free Papua Movement or OPM, was formed as early as 1965, and their struggle has been ongoing since that time. In more recent years, peaceful forms of resistance have increased. This is a very welcome development, but unfortunately Indonesia fails to tolerate even the most peaceful forms of dissent such as vigils and prayer meetings. In the last few days peaceful pro-Papuan rights demonstrations have been broken up by police in Bali, Makassar and in Jayapura.

From what we know New Zealand has approached this difficult situation in the spirit of trying to resolve the situation peacefully and through dialogue and negotiation. We strongly support this approach. We deeply regret that Indonesia’s hard-line approach has come at a time when the TPNPB were signalling a more flexible approach to negotiation.

We commend to your attention the statement of influential Church leaders in West Papua. Catholic Bishop Yanuarius You, who is himself Papuan has joined with his fellow Protestant Church leaders to call for a withdrawal of troops and to chart a way forward to peace. Bishop You said on 26 April:

We do not want civilian casualties, therefore, with utmost respect, we ask the President of the Republic of Indonesia to strongly order the military commander to withdraw troops from Papua. And it is necessary to take a humanitarian approach, namely through negotiations.

The Church leaders have offered their services as trusted leaders in the Papuan Community and have called on all parties to observe a ‘humanitarian pause’ to enable successful negotiation to proceed.

As the Church leaders pointed out the withdrawal of security forces should be seen as the application of a ‘very noble face’, because it would promote the dignity of every human being.

We believe that there is also a need for the involvement of a neutral international agency, such as the United Nations and/or other skilled and experienced international negotiating body.

We therefore appeal to you to:

• take up the call of the Church leaders for the withdrawal of forces and a ‘humanitarian pause’ in your ongoing negotiations with the Government of Indonesia and the TPNPB aimed at the release of New Zealand citizen Philip Mehrtens.
• Call on Indonesia to allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit West Papua urgently because of the gravity of the present situation
• Call on Indonesia to allow an external party to be involved in the talks with the West Papua Liberation Army (TPNPB) in order to achieve a peaceful solution to the impasse.

Ngā mihi,

Maire Leadbeater

Rev. Brian Turner

Catherine Delahunty

Copy to Her Excellency Fientje Maritje Suebu,

Embassy of Indonesia,

70 Glen Rd,

Wellington.

Endorsed by:

Mons. Gerard Burns, PP Te Ngākau Tapu parish for Māori, Wellington.

Dr Heather Came, STIR (Stop Institutional Racism)

Tigilau Ness Polynesian Panthers Legacy Trust Representative.

Barbara Frame, West Papua Support Dunedin

Professor Steven Ratuva, Director of the MacMillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies & Professor of Anthropology, University of Canterbury

Rev Hamish Galloway, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa NZ

Rev Peter Taylor, President, Methodist Church of Aotearoa-NZ

Edwina Hughes, Coordinator, Peace Movement Aotearoa

Dr Treasa Dunworth, Associate Professor, University of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand

Robert Reid, President First Union

Morgan Godfery (First Union Aotearoa)

Dr Heather Devere, Chair, Asia Pacific Media Network, Auckland

Dr David Robie, Editor,Asia Pacific Report, Tāmaki Makaurau and deputy chair of the NGO Asia Pacific Media Network | Te Koakoa Incorporated

Leilani Salesa, Oceania Interrupted

Aotearoa Section, Women's International League for Peace & Freedom

Greenpeace Aotearoa.

International

Human Rights Monitor

Papuan Medical Community Without Border (Komunitas Medis Papua Tampa Batas)

Merdeka West Papua Support Network (Philippines)

Joe Collins, Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)

Papua Partners (United Kingdom)

Samenwerkende Organisaties voor West Papua (SOWP) (Solidarity Organisations for West Papua), Netherlands.

International IPMSDL (International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self Determination and Liberation)

Dr Cammi Webb-Gannon, Coordinator, West Papua Project, University of Wollongong

Jim Elmslie, West Papua Project, University of Wollongong

Ronny Kareni, Individual Scholar, West Papua Project, University of Wollongong

Individuals:

Dr Heather Devere

Dr David Robie

Megan Hutching

Dr Philip Temple ONZM

Dr Tony Fala

Rev Mua Strickson Pua

Che Strickson-Pua

Dr Tony Fala volunteer, Community Services Connect Trust, South Auckland.

Keith Locke (former Member New Zealand Parliament)

Sue Bradford (former Member New Zealand Parliament)

Leilani Salesa

TeRito Peyroux-Semu

Patricia Stickland-Morse

Mihaela Stickland-Kaiser

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