Separatist rebels in Indonesia’s Papua region have killed an American pilot and set a civilian plane on fire, in an attack described as a ‘message’ to the US and Indonesian governments. The incident occurred in the Yahukimo region of Highland Papua province, where the plane had landed. Nicholas F Gosselin, the American pilot, was shot dead by separatist fighters, according to Sebby Sambom, a spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB). The aircraft was then set on fire.
Sambom claimed the plane had been ‘frequently dropping Indonesian military personnel and violating the TPNPB’s ultimatum.’ A low-level battle for independence from Indonesia has long raged in the resource-rich western half of Papua, where attacks by independence fighters have grown deadlier and more frequent as they have procured better weaponry. The Indonesian government has confirmed that a plane was found burned at an airport in Yahukimo, but could not confirm whether it had been attacked by rebels or whether the pilot had been killed. The US embassy in Jakarta has not commented on the incident.
The plane, which was owned by the airline operator PT AMA, had been carrying seven Papuan passengers and had flown to Yahukimo from Wamena. Sebby said the attack in the Balinggama district of Yahukimo was a message to the Indonesian and US government for ‘failing to address the root causes of the conflict in Papua between the Indonesian military and the West Papua National Liberation Army.’ He said rebels would start conducting attacks if Indonesia kept allowing civilian aircraft to enter rebel-controlled red zones of Papua. Rebels carried guns and axes and raised the Morning Star flag, a symbol of independence, while announcing the attack, according to a video sent by TPNPB.
