In the Indonesian area of Papua, separatist fighters took a New Zealand pilot hostage and set fireplace to a small business aircraft after it made a touchdown in a remote highland area. The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) claimed duty for the kidnapping and said that the pilot would not be released until the Indonesian authorities acknowledged the independence of West Papua.
The army has confirmed the id of the pilot as Captain Philip Merthens and it is unclear if the 5 passengers have additionally been taken hostage. The Indonesian Foreign Ministry and the New Zealand embassy in Jakarta have not but issued a response to inquiries for remark.
The police in Papua province initiated an investigation into the incident and dispatched each police and army personnel to the realm to seek for the pilot and the five passengers. However, Limited is difficult to reach and might only be accessed by plane, limiting the variety of personnel that can be despatched, according to the spokesperson for the Papua province police.
“We can not ship any personnel there as a outcome of Nduga is a tough area to reach. We can go there only by airplane.”
The airplane operated by Susi Air had safely landed early on Tuesday morning earlier than being attacked by the insurgent fighters. The TPNPB didn’t say immediately if they had also taken the passengers hostage in their assertion but did affirm that this was the second time the group had taken a hostage, with the primary incident occurring in 1996.
Indonesia’s easternmost provinces, together with Papua, have been fighting a continuous battle for independence since the region was brought beneath Indonesian control in a vote overseen by the United Nations in 1969. Since 2018, the conflict has tremendously intensified, with pro-independence forces finishing up more frequent and extra lethal assaults.
According to a report by the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, the elevated intensity of those attacks has been made possible by the fighters’ improved capability to obtain weapons. This has been achieved via raiding and stealing from military posts, cross-border purchases, and the illegal sale of government-issued weapons..