By : Marlon Dani Latuihamallo )*
Until now, Susi Air pilot Captain Phillips Marthen is still the victim of being taken hostage by the Papuan Separatist and Terrorist Group (KST) led by Egianus Kogoya. The government is not standing still and President Jokowi is trying various ways to free the pilot. With diplomacy, the government is optimistic that Captain Phillis will be released soon.
The Susi Air plane was burned and the pilot taken hostage. This tense event occurred in Nduga Regency, Papua. The authorities moved quickly and took firm action against the KST who did it. This separatist group must be dealt with firmly and measurably so that they don’t kidnap them indiscriminately and tarnish Papua’s good name in the eyes of the world.
The Separatist and Terrorist Group (KST) is back in action and this time they are holding foreign pilots and passengers of Susi Air hostage in the Nduga region. The public criticized KST for always committing crimes.
The community strongly criticized the hostage-taking carried out by KST because they kidnapped someone who had nothing to do with the government or security forces. The pilot (Capt Phillips) is a foreign national and has no connection with the government, but is suspected of being a spy.
Currently the Papua Police are trying to provide as much as IDR 5 billion as a win-win solution if KST asks for a ransom. The reason is, the Papuan KST gang continues to ask for Papuan independence from Indonesia and this certainly cannot be fulfilled by the Government.
Even though the Susi Air pilot has not been released, the government is not standing still. President Jokowi is trying various ways to release him. President Joko Widodo responded to reports that KST asked for a large ransom to release Susi Air Pilot Philip Mehrtens.
President Jokowi stated that he was reluctant to confirm or deny the ransom issue. However, the government will definitely take various ways to release Captain Phillips. All methods are used to produce something. He could not reveal the liberation efforts that were made. However, the government assured the public about the plan to release the Susi Air pilot.
In a sense, the Susi Air pilot will be released by the government and not left alone. Even though he is a foreign citizen, his kidnapping is in Indonesia, so the government will be responsible.
Meanwhile, the Papua Police Chief Inspector General Mathius D. Fahiri has prepared a ransom if KST requests this. He said the request would be granted as long as it was not related to Papuan independence. Then, the money that was also requested would be prepared and handed over to Egianus Kogoya of origin. The hostage, who is a New Zealand national, was released and handed over to the security forces.
If they still ask for money or goods, they can still give them, as long as the hostages are released immediately. However, Papuan independence will never happen because according to international and national law, Papua is part of Indonesia. Moreover, KST misfired because the pilot was a foreign citizen, not an Indonesian citizen.
Even though the KST request was rejected, it does not mean that the government remains silent. The security forces continue to be deployed in the context of the KST eradication mission as well as hunting for their members, in order to save Captain Phillip.
One of the KST leaders, Jefri Pagawak, is on the wanted list (DPO). Jefri’s whereabouts are known to be in Papua New Guinea (PNG). This was revealed by the Head of Peaceful Operations Cartenz 2023, Kombes Pol Faizal Ramadhani.
In addition, the Susi Air pilot who is still being held hostage by KST led by Egianus Kogoya is confirmed to be in good health. The apparatus continued to search and arrest KST until they succeeded in capturing Egianus Kogoya’s men, with the initials YL. He served as a spy overseeing whether there were officers pursuing KST.
Having YL arrested is a good thing because he can be interrogated so he can confess where the KST headquarters are. He was also forced to tell the location where the Susi Air pilot was being held hostage so that he could be found and released immediately.
KST must be dealt with firmly so that it doesn’t go around kidnapping and burning planes. What’s more, what was burned was a commercial plane, not owned by the government (a state-owned company), so it had nothing to do with the central government.
The Joint Team of Carstensz Peaceful Operations continues to search the Nduga area and its surroundings and they are determined to find the KST headquarters, which is suspected to be the hiding place of Egianus Kogoya cs.
When later meeting with the KST, the apparatus is allowed to take decisive, measurable action. The reason is because they are terrorists who have the heart to burn planes and kidnap passengers and pilots ruthlessly. Only with firm action can KST be eradicated and it will not repeat its crimes.
President Jokowi is trying various ways so that the Susi Air pilot who was kidnapped by KST is immediately released. Meanwhile, the security forces continued to hunt down KST to get caught and provide information on where Capt. Phillips is hidden. Therefore, the support of all parties is needed to continue to support the Government’s efforts to save hostages from the hands of KST.
)* The writer is a Papuan student living in Balikpapan
