Andrew Mathieson – The West Papua provincial government has stressed to Jakarta any release of forest areas for palm oil plantation expansion must obtain approval from Indigenous communities, who under new protections hold customary land rights.
It comes after a recent Indonesian court decision allowed Papuan Indigenous peoples to cultivate its forests at will for its own benefit.
The policy aims to protect the rights of Indigenous people while also conserving forests throughout traditional Papuan territory.
Head of the West Papua Forestry Office, Jimmy Walter Susanto – an Indonesian figure – said the aspirations of Indigenous people is a top priority in policymaking related to forest utilisation.
"West Papua has a standard operating procedure," he said, according to Antara, an Indonesian-based news agency.
"Every plan to release forest areas must include a letter of approval from Indigenous communities."
Mr Susanto emphasised the provincial government must prioritise Indigenous participation in all forestry decisions to prevent social conflict and ensure investment projects "respect community rights and forest sustainability".
This principle is applied to prevent social conflicts and ensure investments are in line with the protection of Indigenous rights and conservation of forestry areas.
"If Indigenous communities disagree, the governor will not issue a recommendation, and we will also not issue technical considerations," Mr Susanto said. "This applies to all permits in the forestry sector."
In October last year constitutional court justices granted a judicial review petition against a job creation law in West Papua, allowing agricultural activities for Indigenous communities in forest catchments to fulfil their own "daily needs," rather than solely for larger commercial purposes.
Indigenous communities are also permitted to cultivate forest areas without a legal requirement to obtain permits from government authorities, according to the constitutional court ruling.
However, legislation to fully protect the rights of Indigenous peoples remain on the backburner.
The court partially granted a petition filed in 2024 by environmental group Sawit Watch on behalf of Papuan peoples.
Growing legal claims for the Jakarta-appointed, West Papua provincial government to recognise a form of Indigenous ownership is the latest attempt to quell a pro-independence Free West Papua and United Liberation Movement group – and their self-appointed provincial government for the region – whose key leaders address West Papuan issues in exile, including from the UK and Australia.
Mr Susanto said the West Papua's palm oil plantations remain "existing ones" – and there are no new permits issued for clearing.
Current plantations are located across Manokwari, Teluk Bintuni, and Fakfak in the Indigenous ancestral lands of Western New Guinean archipelago.
Mr Susanto highlighted a list of seven priority programs for carbon biomass sequestration which includes strategies to reduce deforestation and promote sustainable forest management.
A key figure of Indonesian parliament has urged its national government to conduct an in-depth study before considering an expansion of palm plantation in the West Papua region.
Filep Wamafma, the chairman House of the Regions of the Senate, added policy decisions must account for environmental, social and cultural dimensions, in addition to the sustainability of Indigenous livelihoods.
"Papuan Indigenous people view the forest as a mother, a place of refuge, and a source of life," he said.
"(The land of) Papua has very sensitive ecological characteristics. So, any natural resource-based investment policy must not disregard the rights of Indigenous peoples."
Source: https://nit.com.au/12-01-2026/22080/west-papua-stresses-indigenous-approval-for-palm-oil-expansio