Timika- The National Police Commission (Kompolnas) expressed its appreciation for the success of the Cartenz Peace Task Force in freeing Susi Air pilot, Captain Philip Mark Mehrtens, who was held hostage by an armed criminal group (KKB) in Papua.
This award was presented by Kompolnas Commissioner Poengky Indarti in Jakarta on Saturday, September 21, 2024.
Poengky expressed his deepest gratitude to the Police, especially the Cartenz Peace Task Force, and related parties who played a role in the release process. According to him, the success of freeing hostages using a peaceful or soft approach shows the Task Force’s commitment to prioritizing non-violent solutions.
“Kompolnas would like to thank the Cartenz Peace Task Force, community, religious, and traditional leaders, and all parties who helped in the hostage release efforts,” said Poengky.
Since the beginning of the kidnapping that occurred on February 7, 2023, Kompolnas has actively held meetings with the Cartenz-2024 Peace Task Force to discuss various release efforts. In these meetings, Kompolnas encourages a peaceful and humanist approach, avoiding violence in resolving cases.
“Kompolnas has met several times with the Cartenz-2024 Peace Task Force to provide supervision and input, so that the release of hostages is carried out with a peaceful approach that prioritizes humanity,” he added.
Poengky hopes that this hostage case will be the last, and that Papua can develop into a safer, more peaceful, and more prosperous region in the future.
Captain Philip Mark Mehrtens, a Susi Air pilot, was finally released after 1.5 years in the grip of the KKB. The release process was successfully carried out by the Cartenz-2024 Peace Task Force and the joint TNI-Polri, in Yuguru Village, Maibarok District, Nduga Regency, on Saturday, September 27, 2024.
Head of Public Relations for the Cartenz-2024 Peace Operation, Senior Commissioner Bayu Suseno, also expressed his gratitude to Kompolnas for the coordination established during the release process.
“We would like to thank Kompolnas for coordinating intensively with the Cartenz-2024 Peace Operation Task Force in the effort to release Captain Philip Mehrtens,” concluded Bayu.
