Reiner Brabar, Sorong – The Nusantara Indigenous Community Alliance (AMAN), Greenpeace Indonesia, the People's Earth Heritage Foundation (Pusaka) and the Papua-Merauke Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) have issued a joint statement titled Papua is not empty land, and stop the theft of indigenous territories in Papua, stop the National Strategic Projects.
The statement was issued following a visit by United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Albert K. Barume, who came to Papua to see and hear from the victims of violations of indigenous peoples' rights, forest destruction and the theft of customary territories under the guise of National Strategic Projects (PSN).
During his two-day visit at the Padang Bulan Women's Development and Guidance Centre (P3W) building in Heram district, Jayapura city, Papua province, on July 4-5, Barume met personally with the victims of violations.
They included representatives of the indigenous tribe of Malind Anim in Merauke district, the Awyu tribe in Boven Digoel, South Papua province, the Mairasi tribe in Teluk Wondama district, West Papua province, the Biak tribe from Biak Numfor district, Papua province, and representatives of victims of violence from Nduga district in Papua Highlands province and Intan Jaya in Central Papua province.
During the meeting, testimonies were delivered by victims of state crimes committed during the exploitation of natural resources, the removal and destruction of forests, the destruction of important sites and traditional sources of livelihood, violence and human rights violations, which have occurred over the last 20 years in Papua.
In general, the presence of PSN, through their militaristic approach and corporate involvement, has brought misery to indigenous communities in Papua, who have long coexisted with nature. Land and forests have been depleted for food estate development, destroying forests and traditional livelihoods, creating tension and divisions within indigenous communities, and even threatening the extinction of the Malind Anim tribe in Merauke regency.
The various protests and criticisms by indigenous Papuans and organisations regarding PSNs, which have encroached on their living space and Papua's natural environment, have gone unheeded by President Prabowo Subianto's administration. Instead of upholding the principle of free, prior and informed consent, a substantial part of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the Indonesian government has ignored this universal principle in the name of PSNs.
"The state has committed a crime by seizing our customary land. This land grabbing has occurred throughout Papua, from Sorong to Merauke", said Shinta, a Malind tribal member who is a victim of a PSN.
Rights under international law
Barume said he heard firsthand accounts from victims of what is truly happening in Papua: cases of land grabbing in the name of the state, violations of indigenous peoples' rights, discrimination and the widespread silencing of dissent.
Barume said that the rights of indigenous peoples under international law are equal to the rights of a nation, and indigenous peoples have rights under international law.
On the same occasion, AMAN Secretary General Rukka Sombolinggi asked everyone in the world, especially Indonesia, to be able to see what is being faced by indigenous Papuan people.
"Indonesians have the right to get a better life. But to get that, we cannot exploit the blood and tears [of others], as well as the rights of our sisters and brothers in Papua", she said.
With the presence of the UN special envoy, indigenous Papuans and civil society organisations hope the world will learn what is truly happening in Papua, and how the theft of indigenous territories and the deprivation of civil rights continues and is becoming increasingly widespread. They also hope the UN will take a firm stance on the Indonesian government's actions against indigenous peoples in Papua.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Pelapor Khusus PBB Temui Korban Perampasan Tanah Adat di Papua".]
Source: https://suarapapua.com/2025/07/10/pelapor-khusus-pbb-temui-korban-perampasan-tanah-adat-di-papua/
