Irsyan Hasyim (Kontributor), Jakarta – Indigenous people from Merauke, South Papua, voiced their rejection of the National Strategic Project (PSN) food estate in their region, staging a protest at the Defense Ministry office on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, to demand its immediate halt.
"The project is being implemented brutally, without any prior consultation or agreement with the indigenous communities," stated Pastor Pius Manu, a religious figure and customary land owner, during a press conference in Jakarta following the protest.
The Merauke Food Estate or the Merauke Food and Energy Development Area, listed under the PSN since November 2023, aims to develop a vast agricultural area spanning over 2 million hectares in South Papua.
The project is divided into two parts. The first part, covering one million hectares, involves a new rice field and other crop projects managed by the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the private company, Jhonlin Group.
The second part, managed by 10 companies, focuses on the development of sugar cane plantations and bioethanol production over 500,000 hectares and is supported by the Sugar and Bioethanol Self-Reliance Task Force.
Pastor Pius explained that the food estate encompasses five clusters spread across 13 districts within the indigenous communities of Malind, Maklew, Khimaima, and Yei. Over 50,000 indigenous inhabitants reside in 40 villages within and around the project site.
According to him, heavy machinery has invaded customary lands, displacing and destroying natural forests, settlements, and wetlands. These activities are escorted by security forces, while customary signs prohibiting such actions are disregarded.
"We are hurt and saddened by the destruction of our customary lands and forests, the habitats of animals, and the sacred place of Alipinek that we have protected for generations," lamented Yasinta Gebze, a representative of the affected Indigenous community from Wobikel Village.
Dozens of demonstrators from the Civil Society Coalition, human rights and environmental defenders, and affected indigenous communities staged a protest at the Monas area in Jakarta, on Wednesday, October 16, 2024. The masses demanded the Indonesian President, Minister of Defense, Minister of Agriculture, and Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries to immediately halt the Merauke Food Estate project. TEMPO/Subekti
In Jagebob and Senayu Districts, where sugar cane plantations are planned, the Global Papua Abadi (GPA) Group consortium has been accused of neglecting sustainable practices and disregarding the rights of indigenous communities. The company has allegedly used security forces to pressure the community, offering compensation in exchange for their lands.
Vincent Kwipalo, a member of the Yei Tribe, emphasized that the community would not sell their customary lands. He stated, "The forests and settlements owned by the clans are not extensive; we want to manage them ourselves for our livelihoods and food sources for generations to come."