All articles tagged with #rebel
Predator: Badlands is a fresh take on the sci-fi franchises Predator and Alien, emphasizing themes of rebellion, moral complexity, and the rejection of traditional hierarchies, with a story that explores the emotional depth of its characters and the idea that identity is self-determined.
New Zealand pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens, held captive by rebels in West Papua for a year, appears in a chilling new hostage video, looking gaunt and pale. In the video, he sends a heartbreaking message to his wife and son, expressing hope for a reunion and asking for supplies. The rebels have previously threatened to execute him and demand negotiations with Indonesia. The West Papua Liberation Army, the armed wing of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, has been fighting Indonesian control in the region since the 1960s.
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.