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Indonesian separatists kill American pilot, citing conflict grievances
🇳🇱 Netherlands /Conflict & Security

Indonesian separatists kill American pilot, citing conflict grievances

From NRC Handelsblad · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Separatists in Indonesia's Papua region reported killing an American pilot and burning his plane.
  • The Indonesian army recovered the pilot's body, identified as Nick Goselin, who flew for Associated Mission Aviation.
  • Separatists claim the attack was a message to Indonesia and the U.S. for refusing to address the conflict's root causes.

Separatists in Indonesia's Papua region claimed responsibility for killing American pilot Nick Goselin and burning his aircraft on Thursday. The Indonesian army confirmed recovering the pilot's body on Friday.

According to a spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army, cited by The Jakarta Post, Goselin's plane had repeatedly dropped off Indonesian soldiers and ignored the Liberation Army's ultimatums. The spokesperson characterized the attack as a message to the Indonesian and U.S. governments for their alleged refusal to address the root causes of the conflict in Papua.

repeatedly dropped off Indonesian soldiers and ignored the Liberation Army's ultimatums

— West Papua National Liberation Army spokespersonExplaining the reason for the attack on the American pilot.

Goselin was the captain for Associated Mission Aviation when he landed his plane in a mountainous area of Yahukimo district. Separatists released a video showing fighters with their flag, rifles, and axes, with Goselin being shot shortly after landing. The fate of the seven passengers reportedly on board remains unclear.

West Papua has experienced long-standing unrest since 1963, when it became an Indonesian province. Independence movements have clashed with the Indonesian army amid the region's resource wealth and the local population's poverty and lack of control over natural resources. In 2023, the same rebel group held a cargo plane pilot and passengers captive for seven and a half months.

a message to the governments of Indonesia and the United States because they refuse to address the root causes of the conflict in Papua

— West Papua National Liberation Army spokespersonCharacterizing the attack's purpose.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by NRC Handelsblad in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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