New Zealand Chopper Pilot Loses His Life in Papua: Tragedy in Tense Times

So, this really sad thing happened. A helicopter pilot from New Zealand, a guy named Glen Malcolm Conning, who was 50, got killed in Papua, which is part of Indonesia. The people who might've done it are this group called the Free Papua Organisation (OPM). They're all about Papua being its own country and not part of Indonesia. But, hold up, the OPM's spokesperson, Sebby Sambom, hasn't said anything about it yet.

This sad event kind of reminds us of another bad situation. There's another pilot from New Zealand, Phillip Mehrtens, who's been held by these folks for almost a year and a half. The authorities think it's the same group that did this to Conning.

Here's what went down: Conning's helicopter landed in some remote spot in Central Papua, and these rebels grabbed everyone on board—Conning and four other people. Thankfully, the passengers are okay, but it's not looking good for the pilot. His body and the helicopter were apparently set on fire in some place called Alama District. This area is so out of the way, you can only get there by chopper.

Conning was just doing his job, flying for a private company, moving people around when this tragedy struck. This whole thing just shows you how messed up it can get in Papua. For decades, it's been a hotbed for folks who want the place to break away from Indonesia and go solo.