Separatist rebels in Indonesia's restive easternmost region of Papua have shot dead an American pilot and set a ci-vilian plane on fire, in what a spokesperson for a local militant group described as a "message" to the US and Indonesian governments. Sebby Sambom, a spokes-person for the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), named the pilot as Nicholas F Gosselin and said separatist fighters had set his plane on fire after it landed in the Yahukimo region of Highland Papua province. He said the air-craft had been "frequently dropping Indonesian mili-tary personnel and violating the TPNPB's ultimatum".