RNZ PacificA West Papuan independence movement leader, Benny Wenda, says the release of New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens held hostage by armed rebels is out of his hands. The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) fighters kidnapped Mehrtens on February 7 after he landed a small commercial passenger plane in Nduga regency. Exiled Wenda is president of the peaceful United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP). He told RNZ Pacific he did not condone the actions of the liberation army rebels and had called for them to release the pilot peacefully. “I do not think the [TPNPB] group can harm the pilot unless Indonesia uses the situation to do harm.