Indonesia: Shooting at a passenger plane at Nop Goliat Dekai Airport, Yahukimo Regency, Papua, March 11

Event

Authorities continue to investigate the March 11 shooting at a Trigana Air (IL) passenger plane at Dekai Town, Yahukimo Regency, Papua, on March 13. Armed criminal group members (Kelompok Kriminal Bersenjata, KKB) reportedly shot at the plane as it was taking off and landing from Nop Goliat Dekai Airport (DEX). One passenger sustained minor injuries. Officials have deployed additional security personnel to the area.

DEX is approximately 100 km (62 miles) southeast of Wamena.

Advice

The KKB has been designated a terrorist organization by the Indonesian government. The organization typically targets Indonesian soldiers and police officers, as well as workers and infrastructure of state-owned public facilities and foreign-owned resource extraction companies, specifically PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI). The incident highlights the threat posed by armed groups in the region and points to the continued tension between Indonesian authorities and people in Papua, who claim that the Indonesian central government racially discriminates against Papuans and that it does not sufficiently develop the provinces' infrastructure.