Jakarta. The Indonesian government has engaged in talks with the US side to bring back home the American pilot who was shot dead by Papua separatists.

The Free Papua Movement’s armed wing had claimed responsibility over American pilot Nicholas F Goselin's death. The separatists had fatally shot Goselin and also torched the aircraft operated by PT AMA, an Indonesian aviation company, in Yakuhimo on Thursday. The seven Papuans on board were unharmed. The authorities had recovered and evacuated Goselin’s body.

To the Jakarta Globe, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Yvonne Mewengkang expressed Indonesia’s deep condolences over the pilot’s death.

Indonesia slammed “all sorts of violence and armed attacks” against civilians, public service facilities, and aircraft that serve remote areas.

“We are now coordinating with all relevant parties, including the US Embassy in Jakarta, to ensure access to consular facilities, including the repatriation,” Yvonne said.  

Indonesia also reaffirmed its “strong commitment” to protect “all foreigners” in the country, according to Yvonne.

An investigation is also now underway.

A US State Department spokesperson had earlier told the Globe that Washington was “closely tracking the developments” related to the probe. They refused to give further comments “out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones”. 

Rebel spokesman Sebby Sambom said that the plane had violated the group’s ban on civilian flights over their operational zones. The separatists accused civilian planes of having assisted the Indonesian military in dropping troops and logistics into the Papuan interior.

Armed separatist movements in Papua have intensified in recent years.Despite its resource abundance, Papua to this day remains one of the least developed regions in Indonesia.