All articles tagged with #papua
A suspected World War II-era bomb exploded beneath a stilt house in a fishing village in Indonesia's Papua region, killing five people and injuring about 19, with nine homes destroyed and several people missing as authorities search the area.
New Zealand calls for the immediate release of pilot Phillip Mehrtens, who was kidnapped by fighters from the West Papua National Liberation Army in Indonesia's Papua province a year ago. The group demanded Papua's independence in exchange for his release. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters urged the captors to release Mehrtens, emphasizing that there can never be any justification for hostage-taking. Indonesia deployed forces to rescue Mehrtens, and there has been a surge in violence in the region since 2018.
Separatists in Indonesia's Papua region have been using government aid money to buy black market guns for their guerrilla war, according to officials. The "Dana Desa" village fund, valued at $4.7bn this year, has long been criticised as prone to corruption. The fund is a key source of revenue for the rebels, who have been fighting for independence since the region was absorbed by Indonesia after a 1969 vote. The escalating insurgency is coinciding with a spike in illegal weapons sales in the region, with the village fund providing a key source of revenue.
New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens, who was kidnapped by separatist fighters in Indonesia's Papua region, has appeared in a video saying he is "alive and well." In the video, he called on the Indonesian authorities to stop ongoing airstrikes in the Nduga Regency where he is being held, saying the attacks could put his life as well as others at risk. The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) called on the New Zealand government to mediate and initiate negotiations for Mehrtens' release and urged Indonesian authorities to stop its military operations in Papua.
Separatists in Indonesia's Papua region claim to have killed nine soldiers in an ambush while the military says one soldier was killed during search operations to find a kidnapped New Zealand pilot. The West Papua National Liberation Army, the military wing of Papua's main separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack and demanded that Indonesia recognise Papuan independence in return for the pilot's release. Papua's Melanesian population shares few cultural connections with the rest of Indonesia, and the military has long been accused of human rights abuses there.
Separatist rebels in Indonesia's Papua province attacked troops deployed to rescue a New Zealand pilot taken hostage, leaving at least six dead and about 30 missing. The rebels shot a soldier who fell into a ravine and launched a second attack while troops were getting his body out. Nine soldiers were reportedly being held by the rebels. Papua was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969, after a U.N.-sponsored ballot that was widely seen as a sham. Since then, a low-level insurgency has simmered in the region, which is divided into two provinces, Papua and West Papua.
At least one Indonesian soldier has been killed in a rebel attack while searching for a kidnapped New Zealand pilot in the Papua region. Rebels later claimed nine soldiers were shot dead in the clash, while the Associated Press cited military sources that put the death toll at six. The troops were part of a detachment sent to locate Phillip Mehrtens, who was taken hostage in February. Papua rebels have been seeking independence from Jakarta for decades.
Separatist rebels in Indonesia's Papua region claim to have killed at least 13 Indonesian military soldiers after the army sent troops in search of captured New Zealand pilot, Phillip Mehrtens, who was taken hostage in February. The rebels said they proposed peace negotiations with the New Zealand and Indonesian governments, but for two months their letters had been ignored. The TPNPB, designated by the Indonesian government as a terrorist group, originally said that Mehrtens would not be released until Jakarta acknowledged Papuan independence and withdrew its troops from the region.
Separatist gunmen attacked Indonesian army troops who were deployed to rescue a New Zealand pilot taken hostage by the rebels in Indonesia’s restive Papua province, leaving at least six dead and about 30 missing. The rebels shot a soldier who fell into a 15-meter (49-foot) deep ravine, and launched a second attack while troops were getting his body out. Rebel spokesperson Sebby Sambom said in a statement that the group’s fighters carried out the attack in revenge for the killing of two rebels in a shootout with Indonesian security forces last month.
Separatist rebels in Indonesia's Papua region claimed to have killed nine army personnel, while the military said one soldier died during the attack. The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) abducted a New Zealand pilot in February and demanded Jakarta recognise the area's independence. The conflict began after a controversial 1969 vote supervised by the United Nations saw the former Dutch territory brought under Indonesian control.