The West Papua Conflict: A Key Factor in New Zealand Pilot Kidnapping.

The kidnapping of a New Zealand pilot by separatists in Indonesia's West Papua region has brought attention to a long-running conflict between the Indonesian government and West Papua's indigenous people. West Papua has a special autonomous status since 2001 and is resource-rich, including the world's largest gold mine. The indigenous Papuans, who are Melanesian, are now thought to be outnumbered by settlers from other parts of the archipelago. Pro-independence fighters have been mounting more frequent attacks since 2018, and the security situation in the highlands has deteriorated. The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) has said it carried out several of these attacks and has long been labelled a terrorist organisation by the Indonesian government.