Attack on American Pilot in Papua
Separatist rebels in Indonesia’s easternmost region of Papua have killed an American pilot and set a civilian plane ablaze. A spokesperson for a local militant group described the incident as a "message" directed at the US and Indonesian governments.
Sebby Sambom, spokesperson for the National Liberation Army (TPNPB), identified the pilot as Nicholas F Gosselin. He stated that separatist fighters set fire to the plane after it landed in the Yahukimo region of Highland Papua province.
"The aircraft had been frequently dropping Indonesian military personnel and violating the TPNPB’s ultimatum," Sambom said.
The conflict has been ongoing in the resource-rich western half of Papua, where attacks by independence fighters have increased in frequency and lethality as they have acquired more advanced weaponry.
Official Confirmation and Context
Yusuf Sutejo, spokesperson for Indonesia’s joint police-military operations in Papua, confirmed that a plane with an American pilot carrying seven passengers was found burned at an airport in Yahukimo. However, he was unable to confirm whether the plane had been attacked by rebels or if the pilot had been killed. All passengers aboard were Papuans, he added.
The Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua share the island with Papua New Guinea. The indigenous population has been engaged in a low-level insurgency against Indonesia for approximately fifty years.
Historical Background
Following the departure of Dutch colonizers and disputes involving Papuans, the Netherlands, and Indonesia, the United Nations sponsored a treaty appointing Indonesia as temporary administrator of the region.
In 1969, a UN resolution endorsed the "Act of Free Choice," a referendum in which 1,026 hand-picked West Papuans voted to remain part of Indonesia. This referendum has been widely criticized by international observers as unrepresentative and coerced.
Indonesia maintains that the region has always been part of its territory and that the resolution affirmed its sovereignty.
Ongoing Conflict and Human Rights Issues
A guerrilla separatist movement emerged following these events, and violence has persisted since then. It is claimed that more than half a million West Papuan people have been killed, with countless others arrested, injured, or displaced, and numerous villages destroyed. Indonesia faces regular accusations of human rights abuses, which it denies.
In recent years, the West Papua cause has gained support from regional neighbors such as Vanuatu, Tuvalu, and the Marshall Islands. However, a 2017 independence petition signed by 1.8 million West Papuans and smuggled to the UN’s decolonization committee was rejected as being outside the committee’s mandate.
Details of the Attack
Sebby Sambom stated that the attack in the Balinggama district of Yahukimo was intended as a message to the Indonesian and US governments for "failing to address the root causes of the conflict in Papua between the Indonesian military and the West Papua National Liberation Army." He warned that rebels would initiate further attacks if Indonesia continued to allow civilian aircraft to enter rebel-controlled red zones in Papua.
According to a video sent by TPNPB, rebels armed with guns and axes raised the Morning Star flag, a symbol of independence, while announcing the attack.
The US embassy in Jakarta did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Aircraft and Operator Information
Indonesia’s transportation ministry reported that the plane carried one pilot and seven passengers and had flown to Yahukimo from Wamena, another city in Highland Papua. Communications with the aircraft ceased after landing.
The aircraft is owned by airline operator PT AMA, whose planes transport food, fuel, and mail to remote villages in Papua, according to its website. PT AMA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Related Incidents
In a notable case, Papuan rebels kidnapped New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens after he landed a small commercial plane in the remote, mountainous area of Nduga in Highland Papua in February 2023. He was released in September 2024.
