Information
A helicopter carrying four passengers was ambushed by separatists in Indonesia’s Papua region, resulting in the death of New Zealand pilot Glen Malcolm Conning. The incident occurred in the remote village of Alama in Central Papua province, where Conning, employed by PT Intan Angkasa Air Service, had landed. The assailants believed to be members of the West Papua National Liberation Army, the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement, released the four Indigenous passengers unharmed. Conning’s body was recovered by a joint task force of police and soldiers the following day.
The conflict in Papua has deep historical roots, with the region formerly being a Dutch colony that came under Indonesian control in 1969 after a UN-backed referendum known as the Act of Free Choice. This referendum has been widely criticised, as it was conducted under questionable conditions with participants selected by the Indonesian military. The Free Papua Movement advocates for the independence of Papua from Indonesia, arguing that the referendum was manipulated in favour of Indonesian sovereignty. The Indonesian government has faced accusations of suppressing pro-independence sentiments and maintaining a repressive regime in the region.
Source: AP, dpa
So what
Sadly, it seems that the levels of violence in West Papua are only going to continue to increase. While it is highly unlikely that Indonesia will ever be pressured to give up control of West Papua; it is possible the media attention gained through attacks like this could lead to some form of agreement that gives more rights to the local population. However, it is more likely that Indonesia will respond with significant force to these attacks, attempting to crush any form of rebellion and to secure the natural resources available in West Papua.
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