Responding to the reported death of New Zealand pilot Glen Malcolm Conning, who was allegedly killed in Alama District, Mimika Regency, Central Papua, the Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Usman Hamid, said:
"We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Glen Malcolm Conning during this difficult time. This unlawful killing is a grave breach of humanitarian law.
"Civilian protection is a fundamental principle that must be always upheld, and the deliberate targeting and killing of civilians is categorically unacceptable. All parties involved in the prolonged conflict in Papua should avoid killing civilians.
We call on Indonesian authorities to immediately investigate this crime, including by doing forensic examination to the body, and bring the perpetrators to justice. It is imperative that those responsible for this unlawful killing are held accountable and that measures are taken to prevent such incidents in the future."
Background
According to media reports which have quoted the Cartenz Peace Operation Task Force, Glen Malcolm Conning, a New Zealand pilot for Intan Angkasa Air Service, was killed by an armed group upon landing in Alama District, Mimika Regency, Central Papua Province, on 5 August 2024.
According to the task force's statement, Conning was then killed, and his body was taken to the helicopter and subsequently burned along with the helicopter. However, some credible sources from Amnesty International Indonesia refute the statement that Conning's body was burned, showing several photos indicating that the victim's body was still intact, and the helicopter was not burned either.
Amnesty International Indonesia recorded five cases of shootings at civilian aircraft allegedly carried out by pro-independence armed groups in Papua from 16 February to 2 August 2024. The highest number of cases occurred in February, with three incidents.
According to media reports, the Papuan pro-independence armed group (TPNPB-OPM) alleged that the Indonesian army often uses civilian aircraft to transport troops and military supplies to conflict zones in Papua. As a result, civilian aircraft entering these areas become targets for the group's attacks.
Civilians in Papua, including indigenous people, have been long-suffering through heavy military operations which have resulted in unlawful killings by both state and non-state armed groups, torture and other ill-treatment, internally displaced persons and other human rights violations. Between 1 January 2018 and 5 August 2024, Amnesty International Indonesia has recorded 130 unlawful killings and a death toll of at least 240 civilians.
Another New Zealand national, Phillip Mehrtens, has been held captive since 7 February 2023 by an armed faction of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), led by Egianus Kogoya. The Susi Air pilot was taken hostage after landing a small commercial plane in the remote and mountainous area of Nduga.
The group has threatened to harm the New Zealand national if talks regarding Papuan independence were not initiated. Since the hostage-taking the government deployed more security forces. From February 2023 to April 2024, the government had deployed 6,773 military and police personnels to Papua.
Hostage-taking violates basic humanitarian principles and international treaties, including common Article 3 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which protects civilians and prohibits torture and inhumane treatment. It also contravenes the 1979 Convention against the Taking of Hostages, which criminalizes such acts by state and non-state actors. Additionally, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) safeguards individuals' rights to liberty, security, and protection from inhumane treatment.