Obstructing the Logistics Supply of the Papuan People, KST Hostage by Pilots Must End Immediately
Jakarta – The government continues to make humanitarian efforts to rescue Susi Air Pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens who is being held hostage by the Papuan Separatist Terrorist Group (KST) led by Egianus Kogoya. The hostage-taking has had an impact on logistics delivery activities for a number of remote areas in Papua which are still using pioneer flight routes.
In a press statement submitted, Susi Pudjiastuti as President Director of ASI Pudjiastuti Aviation stated that the hostage-taking had hampered flights to a number of locations at the same time closing 70 percent of logistics delivery routes for the basic needs of Papuans.
“Flights to a number of mountainous locations for logistics delivery can reach 30 to 40 flights in one day. The protracted hostage-taking carried out by KST Papua has hampered the delivery of logistics for the Papuan people who still live in a number of remote locations because they can only be accessed via pilot planes.” said Susie.
Meanwhile the Chairman of the Forum for Religious Harmony in Kab. Jayapura, Albert Yoku said, the pioneering aircraft pilots were the heroes of opening the isolation and heroes of a new civilization for the Papuan people. The sacrifices of the pilots are not small to be able to bring civilization and development in mountainous Papua, because they risk their lives with short routes and sometimes bad weather. For this reason, taking the pilot hostage will only slow down the supply of logistics for the people of Papua.
“If this 1 pilot causes 1,000 pilots not to fly serving the people in the mountains, this will be a tremendous setback. The pilot is a meritorious person because he left his family and is ready to take risks in that area, so the customary leaders have to talk about the death of development.” Added Albert Yoku in a dialogue on Kompas TV (Thursday 02 March 2023).
On a different occasion, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD stated that until now the Government is still prioritizing persuasive efforts in rescuing Pilot Susi Air. Not only holding the pilot hostage, KST Papua also burned a Pilatur Porter type aircraft and took five other hostages.
“The safety of the hostages is a top priority, therefore the Government takes a persuasive approach but does not rule out other options if these steps are deemed ineffective,” explained Mahfud MD.
Efforts through violence and military force are one of the last ways to solve this problem. The use of force or carrying out direct attacks on terror group targets must be considered and calculated carefully because it will cause an impact and reaction from the international community.
