Kidnapping and killing will not bring any good to the Papuan people, who have been longing for peace and prosperity. The acts of violence will instead worsen the hard life facing many Papuans.

Many places in far-flung Papua are only accessible by air and only dedicated pilots are willing to make the dangerous journeys to move goods and people.

Both aforementioned pilots are New Zealand citizens. NZ Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have repeatedly called for the immediate release of Mehrtens, but to no avail. The Papuan rebels have demanded ransom in exchange for the freedom of Mehrtens, who has been in their captivity for one and a half years now.

The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), has held Mehrtens hostage in the jungle since Feb. 7, 2023, after burning his small aircraft that landed in an airstrip in Nduga regency, Papua Highlands. The Nduga jungle is known as a stronghold for the rebel group.

In addition to the ransom, the group has demanded independence for Papua, and yet cannot claim to represent the aspirations of all Papuan people. Besides, international laws clearly acknowledge that Papua is an integral part of the Republic of Indonesia, which is why self-determination for Papua will be difficult, if not impossible, to materialize.

The rebels had announced their intention to set Mehrtens free earlier this year, but this promise was broken. Days before the killing of Conning on Aug. 6, the group also promised to let Mehrtens reunite with his wife and their son

Conning was killed in an ambush by a group of unidentified people shortly after he landed a helicopter belonging to PT Intan Angkasa Air Service in Mimika, Central Papua. The four passengers onboard, local residents, were released unharmed. The Indonesian Military (TNI) has blamed the separatist group for the attack.

A spokesperson for the TPNPB, Sebby Sambom, said in a voice message to the Associated Press the group had designated the area a restricted zone where civilian aircraft were prohibited from landing. He blamed the pilot for disregarding their warnings. Whatever the motive behind the ambush, the killing of a civilian cannot be justified.

The OPM has often accused security forces of committing atrocities against civilians in Papua, but it turns out they have also committed acts of violence. This cycle of violence has prevented any initiative to hold a dialogue to end the decades-long conflict in Papua.

The government cannot deny that the root of the Papua problem is injustice, which has left Papuans living in poverty even though their land is home to high-value natural resources. Papua has a low Human Development Index despite trillions in special autonomy funds from Jakarta since 2002.

Corruption involving the local and national elites is believed to have kept the funds from helping Papua close its gap with the rest of the country. All the while Papuan people’s calls for justice have been met with oppression and a security approach, which sadly have been in place for decades. Unsurprisingly, many in Papua believe they have been treated like second-class citizens on their home soil.

The government’s commitment to enforcing the law and its responsibility to protect Papuan people will be tested by its ability to uncover and arrest whoever is behind the killing of Capt. Conning and to free Mehrtens.