Moment rebels armed with BOWS & guns parade captured pilot on camera as they hold him hostage demanding independence

SHOCKING footage has emerged of a captive pilot after he was kidnapped by Papua West New Guinea separatists.

Philip Mehrtens, 37, was landing a single-engine plane when it was seized by rebels and set on fire.

Five Papau passengers who were on the plane were released, but Philip, of New Zealand, was taken hostage.

The shocking video shows him surrounded by armed rebels with high-powered rifles and bows.

In the footage, dad Philip, says: “The military have taken me captive in their fight for independence.”

The separatists are using the innocent pilot as a bargaining chip, and in the video, forced him to read a sheet with their demands on it.

Philip has been moved to a rebel-controlled area, and is being “treated humanely”.

Philip works for Indonesian aviation company Susi Air, and lives in an expat community on the Indonesian island of Bali with his wife and their young son. 

The group’s spokesman, Sebby Sambom, told The Telegraph the group was unwilling to speak to the “enemy” in Jakarta, but would negotiate the pilot’s release with Australia and New Zealand.

He said: “If New Zealand and the Australian government don’t want to respond to our demands, we will not release him.

“He will stay with us and we will ask him for training for our young people training for flying.”

The rebels previously said they would execute the pilot unless Indonesia recognised and freed Papua from “Indonesian colonialism”.

Leader Sebby Sambom maintains they will take good care of the captive Kiwi.

He said: “We are human beings, we understand, we understand about humanitarian but only Indonesia come and kill like [we are] animals.”

The plane was scheduled to pick up 15 construction workers who had been building a health centre in Paro when the plane was set fire to by the separatists and Philip taken hostage.

Papau District chief Namia Gwijangge said: “Our plan to evacuate the workers angered the rebels, who responded by setting fire to the plane and seizing the pilot.

“We deeply regret this incident.”

The separatists are reportedly members of the West Papua National Liberation Army, which is fighting for independence from Indonesia.

The dispute between Indonesia and Papua people has dated back to the late 1960s.

Papua came under Indonesian control in 1969 following a controversial UN-sponsored referendum.

The rebels have demanded New Zealand cut links with Jakarta, which it accuses of carrying out genocide against the Papuan population.

The coordinating minister for Political, Security and Legal Affairs Mohammad Mahfud said the government is making every effort to persuade the rebels to release Mehrtens.

He said: “Taking civilians hostage for any reason is unacceptable.”