Separatists From Free Papua Movement Killed American Pilot

Rebels from the separatist movement shot and killed an American pilot and set fire to a civilian aircraft operated by an Indonesian airline. The militants claimed that the plane was carrying Indonesian military personnel and had violated an ultimatum issued by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB).

This was reported by The Guardian.

Sebby Sambom, a spokesperson for the TPNPB, identified the pilot as Nicholas F. Gosselin and said that the separatists set his plane on fire after it landed at the Ipedehik airfield in the village of Balingama, Yahukimo.

Yusuf Sutejo, a spokesperson for Indonesia’s joint police and military operations in Papua, confirmed that a burned-out plane carrying seven passengers was found at the airfield.

There is currently no information on the whereabouts of the seven passengers.

The Aviation Safety Network reported that it was a Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo-Porter civilian passenger aircraft.

“The killing of the American pilot is a consequence of the failure of the governments of Indonesia, the United States, and the Netherlands, as well as the United Nations, to address the root causes of the conflict in Papua, which has been ongoing for 64 years,” stated the separatist group.

The Free Papua Movement (OPM) is a militarized organization of separatist groups founded in 1965, which seeks the complete separation of the West New Guinea region from Indonesia, the rejection of economic development and the modern way of life, and the removal of the non-indigenous population from the island.