Inp.polri.go.id  - Jakarta. The governments of Indonesia and New Zealand have sent their respective representatives to Timika, Papua, to monitor the case of the hostage of Susi Air pilot.

Phillip Mehrtens, who has been held hostage by the Armed Criminal Group (KKB) since two weeks ago.

"The New Zealand Embassy in Jakarta has sent their consular officials to Papua. The government of Indonesia holds the authority to manage the case," Director-General of Public Information and Diplomacy Teuku Faizasyah said as quoted from cnnindonesia.com on Thursday (2/23/23).

He explained that the New Zealand representatives have been closely in contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Indonesian authorites in connection with the case. 

New Zealand media, Radio New Zealand (RNZ), reported that three New Zealand diplomats and two Indonesian Foreign Ministry staff have arrived in Mimika on February 15.

The three New Zealand diplomats were the deputy head of New Zealand's diplomatic mission to ASEAN, Brendan Andrew Stanbury, and his staff in Jakarta Patrick John Fitzgibbon and Alexander Mcsporran.

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs official sent to Timika, Dionisius Elvan Swasono and Nicolas Hendrik Theodorus, explained that their arrival was to monitor the progress of the case. Wellington diplomats have raised their expectation that the Susi Air pilot can be released soon.

(rz/pr/um)