Kiwi hostage safely released in Papua New Guinea

An Australian-based New Zealander who was held hostage in Papua New Guinea has been safely released.

“Tenkiu tru for your leadership and cooperation governments of PNG and Australia,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta tweeted.

SBS news reported, the New Zealand citizen is Professor Bryce Barker, who lives in Australia and works as an archaeologist at the University of Southern Queensland.

“The highly regarded and experienced archaeologist and his research crew were conducting fieldwork in the remote Southern Highlands province of PNG when they were taken hostage by the armed group,” SBS news reported.

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* Four people, including a reported New Zealander, held hostage by criminals in Papua New Guinea

A spokesperson for New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed the release of three hostages in the Southern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea, an Australian-resident New Zealander and two Papua New Guinea citizens, who are now in a safe location.

“We are extremely pleased that the hostage situation is resolved and we are relieved for the hostages and their whānau.”

“We thank the Government of Papua New Guinea for its leadership in securing the hostages’ release. In the spirit of cooperation amongst Pacific whānau, we have worked closely with the Governments of Papua New Guinea and Australia on this issue.”

For privacy reasons the spokesperson said it would not be commenting further.

Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape posted on Facebook thanking all those involved in the safe release of the hostages.

Marape said no ransom was paid.

“And we apologise to the families of those taken as hostages for ransom, it took us a while but the last three has been successfully returned through covert operations,” Marape said.

Barker and at least four other hostages were reportedly held at gunpoint by 20 armed men.

On Monday, the Papua New Guinea police commissioner said security forces were prepared to use lethal force to free the hostages from armed criminals.

The foreign national and three Papua New Guinea university students were “being held by criminals in the border region of South Highlands, Hela and Western Provinces”, the police commissioner, David Manning, said in a statement dated on Monday and received by The Associated Press early Tuesday.

Manning said the safety of the hostages was the top priority of security forces who “are operating within their set rules of engagement in dealing with these criminals”.

“Our specialised security force personnel will use whatever means necessary against the criminals, up to and including the use of lethal force, in order to provide for the safety and security of the people being held,” Manning added.