We condemn the killing of Nicholas F. Goselin, a US national, in West Papua on 2nd July. The TPNPB have admitted responsibility for killing Goselin. A TPNPB spokesperson said that there was a no-fly zone for Indonesian airlines which the aircraft had violated in Yahukimo Regency of Highland Papua. He also said that the aircraft had been providing support to the Indonesian military in the form of provisions and ammunition. A spokesman for the airline in question, Associated Mission Aviation, says that church mission flights are only used for humanitarian purposes and reaching isolated communities, and has never been used for military purposes.

This has occurred alongside horrific incidents and escalating violence across Intan Jaya, where seven incidents over the last three months have led to the deaths of three people, including a heavily pregnant woman, a minister and a young child. On the 2nd July, a woman who was seven months pregnant, Melkiana Duwitau, was killed during a firefight near her house, where she was struck by a bullet whilst inside. Elianus Agimbau was a minister and his body was found on 1st July with five bullet wounds and cuts across his body. Oktu Tigau's body was found near an army post, and it is suspected that he was tortured by the military before finally being shot.1

The killings should serve to focus attention on the root causes of conflict in West Papua. In several Regencies including Yahukimo, where the killing took place, there is "... an increasingly alarming humanitarian crisis" as a result of repeated military operations in April and May of 2026.2 The number of displaced people in nine regencies within the province reportedly amounts to more than 103,000 people.

This displacement has not simply been the result of armed clashes between the TPNPB and the Indonesian military. In December 2025, for example, it was reported that the military had been deliberately targeting villages of indigenous West Papuan people in Yahukimo leading to their immediate displacement.3 Yet media attention often reduces the situation to conflict, rather than looking at the problems of persistent security force operations.

These operations have caused virtually all displacement over the course of several years. The security forces remain able to command the national news narrative and with isolated exceptions, are not called out for their conduct. One such exception took place in February, where a committee of the Indonesian legislature's upper house, the Regional Representative Council (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah, DPD), released a statement of recommendations criticising the government's securitisation approach in West Papua. The DPD pushed for a change to a more humanitarian approach, explicitly calling for a drawing down of Indonesian army personnel in the region, particularly troops not originating from West Papua, and to strictly prioritise the support for Internally Displaced People (IDPs) who have been forced to flee the conflict.

The present case bears some striking similarities to what happened to New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens in 2023-24. Like Goselin, he was a foreign pilot operating flights to remote communities in the interior of Highland Papua, which meant it was likewise targeted due to violating TPNPB's self-declared no-flight zone. The aircraft was also attacked on the ground and was burnt in the aftermath, and the cases shared demands from the TPNPB for recognition of West Papuan independence and for UN mediation. However, Mehrtens himself was taken hostage and held for over a year, unlike Goselin, so whether this shows a change of tactics on the part of the TPNPB is unknown at this stage.

We believe that while the approach of the Indonesian Government towards the conflict in West Papua has relied on militarisation, this is counterproductive, and killing and displacing civilians will not help achieve a durable peace and may rather inflame hostilities.

Recommendations

We urge conflicting parties, in this case the TPNPB and the TNI/Polri, to adhere to the principles of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) including distinction, proportionality, and precaution, in order to prevent civilians who are not involved in the armed conflict from becoming victims of unjustified actions including violence. The killing of civilians does not show an appetite for negotiation that is necessary to deal with the root causes of the conflict.

The Government of Indonesia has a responsibility to guarantee and protect the human rights of IDPs. Apart from fulfilling these guarantees, it must also give serious consideration to admitting international agencies with experience in providing aid to IDPs. The Government of Indonesia must also recognise that its securitisation policy has not worked, and should prioritise a ceasefire, along with deescalation, humanitarian aid, a programme of ensuring the safe return of displaced people and a phased withdrawal of troops, followed by peace talks. Only in this way can threats to civilians be minimised.

We call on the international community to exert pressure on the Indonesian government to fulfil its IHL and human rights commitments in West Papua, to set a timetable for visits by UN Special Rapporteurs, and to impress on it the urgency of intervention to stop further civilian suffering.

London, 15th July 2026

1. BBC Indonesia, "Pendeta, ibu hamil, dan bayi di kandungan tewas ditembak dalam hari-hari penuh kekerasan konflik bersenjata di Intan Jaya, Papua – 'Kakak sudah kena peluru, adik harus cari keselamatan'", 4th July 2026, https://www.bbc.com/indonesia/articles/ce375xpzkjdo

2. Brabar, R., "ibuan Orang Asli Papua Terusir dari Tanahnya, Pengungsi Tembus 129 Ribu Jiwa", 31st May 2026, https://suarapapua.com/2026/05/31/ribuan-orang-asli-papua-terusir-dari-tanahnya-pengungsi-tembus-129-ribu-jiwa/

3. Tomei.id, "Operasi Militer di Yahukimo Sasar Permukiman Sipil, Puluhan Rumah Rusak dan Warga Mengungsi", 15th December 2026, https://tomei.id/operasi-militer-di-yahukimo-sasar-permukiman-sipil-puluhan-rumah-rusak-dan-warga-mengungsi/

Source: https://tapol.org/publications/tapol-statement-recent-killings-us-pilot-and-communities-west-papu