PAPUA – Papuan intellectuals and youth leaders have asked the Armed Criminal Group (KKB) led by Egianus Kogoya to release the Susi Air pilot, Captain Philip Mark Marhtens.
Mimika Regency intellectual figure, Yonias Kula hopes that the government can negotiate well with Egianus Kogoya. According to him Egianus was nobody. His party can help to communicate so that the KKB releases Captain Philip.
“The pilot must be returned. We hope that Mr. Egianus has to return it, it’s useless to stay in the forest meaningless, we hope that he can be returned,” Yonias told reporters in Timika, Mimika Regency, Tuesday (7/3/2023).
He said the acts of violence carried out by the KKB had an impact on community activities in Nduga, Puncak and Intan Jaya Regencies. He said both the people in Nduga, Puncak and Intan Jaya Regencies could not do their activities. “Because of this problem, they are currently fleeing to Mimika, Nabire and Jayapura,” he said.
Meanwhile, a youth leader for Mimika Regency, Agustinus Anggaiba, said that in the situation that occurred in Nduga, the KKB group had to prioritize humanity. According to him, methods by taking pilots hostage are not justified. He also asked the TNI-Polri to negotiate with the local government and youth leaders. So that there were no victims from both the TNI-Polri and civilians.
“Of course this civilian pilot is not normal. What will you get if you are detained? We will certainly convey if you are involved. Where is the pilot’s influence? This pilot is not an Indonesian citizen. There is no positive impact on New Zealand citizens,” he said.