Reiner Brabar, Jayapura – The Papua Merauke Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) has emphasised that President Prabowo Subianto must respect and accept the results of the 2026 session of the Full Working Council of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (MPL PGI) as a form of respect for human rights, democracy and the rights of indigenous peoples in Papua.
Welcoming the declaration, LBH Papua Merauke believes that the PGI's stance is a moral and prophetic step that sides with the ordinary people who have been victims of state policies.
"It is time for the Church to be present for those who have been victims of the injustice of government policies. The PGI's bold stance must be supported", said LBH Papua Merauke on Thursday February 5 in press release number SP/01/LBH-PM/02/II/2026.
Violations of FPIC, indigenous rights
LBH Papua Merauke Director Teddy Wakum revealed the horrific facts that emerged while assisting the Malind indigenous people, victims of the Merauke National Strategic Project (PSN).
According to Wakum, LBH found that the implementation of the Merauke PSN was carried out without meaningful consultation or the free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) that the government and companies are obliged to provide to affected indigenous communities.
"This happened to the indigenous community in Wanam Village, Ilwayab district and those who were immediate victims, namely the Moiwend, Basik-Basik, Gebze and several other clans. In other location with different companies the same thing also happened, namely the in the Honggari and Dumande villages in Malind district, where we found no FPIC had happened", he explained.
The implementation of the Merauke PSN, which has been ongoing for more than a year said Wakum, has given rise to various contradictions within the Malind indigenous community.
"Conflicts between indigenous communities, coercion, destruction and loss of food sources, environmental damage and the loss of forests with important ecosystems covering tens of thousands of hectares have occurred, as has been experienced by indigenous communities in Wanam and several other areas, such as Nakias, Jagebob, and 75 families in Soa village, Tanah Miring", he said.
Criminal violations
LBH Papua Merauke also referred to the monitoring results of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) in 2024-2025, which found a number of human rights violations, including the disregard for the principle of FPIC, the failure to recognise customary rights of indigenous peoples, the narrowing of living spaces and livelihoods, the forced eviction from customary land, the destruction of the environment and local culture and the involvement of security forces in the implementation of the PSN in Wanam.
LBH Papua Merauke strongly suspects that what was experienced by the indigenous people in Wanam violates Article 385 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code (KUHP).
The existence of indigenous communities, including the Wanam indigenous community, comprising the Moyuwend, Kahol, Basik-Basik, Balagaize and Gebze clans, is recognised under Article 18B paragraph 2 of the 1945 Constitution and also Article 43 of Law Number 2/2021 on the Second Amendment to Law Number 21/2001 on Special Autonomy for Papua Province, Law Number 39/1999 on Human Rights, and Constitutional Court ruling Number 35/PUU-X/2012, which states that customary forests are not state forests.
Statement
In looking at the facts and events that have occurred and in examining the PGI's statement at the MPL session, LBH Papua Merauke along with Merauke Solidarity affirm that we:
1. Fully support and appreciate the PGI's bold move to declare its support for indigenous communities who oppose PSN in the land of Papua.
2. Fully support the PGI's stance against militarism and authoritarianism in Indonesia and urge the president to evaluate the military deployment at the location of the Merauke PSN and throughout the land of Papua.
3. Urge President Prabowo Subianto to accept the results of the PGI MPL session as a form of respect, fulfillment, protection and advancement of human rights and to immediately halt the Merauke PSN.
4. President Prabowo should immediately open himself to dialogue with the PGI, the affected indigenous communities and other religious figures and leaders who have expressed their opposition to the PSN and to immediately halt all Proyek Sengsara Nasional (PSN, National Misery Projects) in Merauke and throughout Papua, which have been proven to violate the law and human rights.
5. We urge President Prabowo to immediately order the Ministry of Defence to halt all joint activities with the Jhonlin Group in Wanam and withdraw all troops from Wanam because they have created fear and trauma for the community whose customary land rights have been stolen for the PSN.
As reported previously, following the PGI MPL In Merauke, PGI Chairperson Reverand Jacklevyn Frits Manuputty expressed his strong support for the indigenous peoples' stance as God's congregation in opposing the continuation of the PSN in Merauke.
Manuputty stated that after conducting a study and listening to the voices of the Papuan indigenous communities, the Papuan churches and the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP), the PGI firmly rejects PSNs and military expansion in the land of Papua.
"Churches in Indonesia support the indigenous peoples' rejection of the national strategic projects or PSN and the military in the land of Papua", said Manuputty.
The PGI MPL was held from January 30 to February 2, 2026 and attended by representatives from 105 member synods, 30 PGI regional branches in Indonesia as well as ecumenical bodies and PGI partner institutions.
- The LBH Papua Merauke press release can be read here: https://ylbhi.or.id/informasi/siaran-pers/presiden-prabowo-wajib-menerima-hasil-sidang-mpl-perseketuan-gereja-gereja-di-indonesia-sebagai-bentuk-penghormatan-pemenuhan-perlindungan-dan-pemajuan-hak-asasi-manusia/
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Dukung Sikap PGI, LBH Papua Merauke Ungkap Dugaan Pelanggaran di PSN".]
