Alongside messages in Indonesian and English, protesters carried banners in the Yei language, spoken by one of several Indigenous Peoples in the south of West Papua threatened by the sugarcane project. Slogans included “West Papua is Not an Empty Land”, “PSN Out of Our Lands” and “Save Forests, Stop Sugarcane”.
The action highlighted massive deforestation looming over Merauke, a threat promoted this week by President Prabowo Subianto during a meeting on the government’s plans for West Papuan development. Addressing regional heads from across West Papua, with the heads of the Indonesian Armed Forces, National Police, and State Intelligence Agency in attendance, Prabowo revealed plans to expand oil palm, sugarcane, and cassava plantations to secure fuel and bioethanol supplies.
The President’s statements are deeply ironic, delivered as parts of Sumatra remain paralyzed by a deadly ecological disaster that has claimed over a thousand lives, driven by climate change and decades of industrial deforestation. The devastation in western Indonesia has evidently failed to dampen the government’s ambition to pursue “false solutions” that would sacrifice pristine landscapes in the east of the country.
Belgis Habiba, Forest Campaigner at Greenpeace Indonesia, stated that the Merauke Sugarcane PSN is currently the largest deforestation project in the world, with the potential to inflict catastrophic damage on key ecosystems in the West Papua southern lowlands ecoregion. “We have just witnessed the terrible impact of the climate crisis and ecological destruction in Sumatra due to massive deforestation over recent decades. Similar disasters are poised to hit West Papua if the government persists in its obsession with food and energy ‘security’ through environmental destruction,” said Belgis.
Joining the protest was Vincent Kwipalo, a Yei man from the Merauke area. Last week, Vincent was summoned for questioning as a complainant in a case regarding alleged plantation crimes and the seizure of the Kwipalo Clan’s ancestral territory by PT MNM, one of the companies carrying out the Merauke Sugarcane PSN. “The government claims it wants to focus on development, but it ignores the fate of Indigenous Peoples whose lands are being bulldozed. Where do they expect us to go? The presence of these companies in our villages triggers conflict, yet the government turns a blind eye, chasing ‘development’ without considering the impact on us. This government-branded development only brings suffering to Indigenous communities,” Vincent said.
The stories of Vincent and other Merauke residents impacted by the PSN are documented in Greenpeace Indonesia’s latest report, “Sweet Promises, Bitter Reality: Inside the Merauke Sugarcane Project.” The report reveals that the government has allocated 560,000 hectares – an area the size of the holiday island of Bali – for industrial sugarcane concessions in Merauke. Of this total, 419,000 hectares are natural forests, while the remainder includes 83,000 hectares of sensitive wetlands and 34,000 hectares of rare savanna ecosystems.
Refki Saputra, Forest Campaigner at Greenpeace Indonesia, labeled the mega-project, which is promoted as a shortcut to sugar self-sufficiency and renewable energy (bioethanol), as a false solution. “Sourcing bioethanol from Merauke will drive large-scale conversion of natural forests. This ambition for ‘renewable’ energy will actually increase emissions and shift focus away from improving smallholder farmers’ sugar production. In short, the Sugarcane PSN is a modern manifestation of colonial ‘terra nullius’ (empty land) politics in West Papua, trading biodiversity and Indigenous living spaces for biofuels,” Refki said.
Notes to Editors:
- Photos and videos of the action are available for download.
- Read the full investigative report.
Media contacts:
Igor O’Neill, Greenpeace Indonesia, ioneill@greenpeace.org +61 414-288-424
Refki Saputra, Greenpeace Indonesia, +62 852-6351-5392
A group of mass organizations held a demonstration in front of the Makassar Police Headquarters on Wednesday (December 17, 2025). During the demonstration, the combined organizations burned the Morning Star flag - IST
Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto has banned Papua's regional heads from traveling abroad, especially if these trips use the so-called "special autonomy funds".
Prabowo recently gathered Papua's regional leaders in a meeting aimed at expediting equitable growth. Indonesia is trying to shift away from a Java-centric growth. This prompted the central government to transfer special autonomy funds to spur development.
"To the governors and regents, please be responsible. You shouldn't travel abroad too much using special autonomy funds," Prabowo said.
He went on to say that it would not only be the Home Affairs Ministry to oversee the budget use.
"Everyone has gadgets," Prabowo said, warning the regional leaders of possible public scrutiny if they travel abroad.
Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa reported that the government had disbursed Rp 12.69 trillion ($760 million) so far this year in 2025. He told the same meeting that the budget had dropped to Rp 10 trillion next year. Prabowo said that the budget could possibly increase with more budget cuts. Since assuming power last October, Prabowo has ordered massive budget austerity measures aimed at slashing non-essential spendings.
"If we can save money, it's possible that we will raise [the special autonomy funds] to like how it was [Rp 12.69 trillion]," Prabowo said.
Prabowo — a frequent traveler — has grown critical of overseas trips by government officials. Just earlier this week, Prabowo slammed South Aceh Regent Mirwan MS who went on Umrah pilgrimage when his region was struggling with the aftermath of the catastrophic flood.
"There is actually this one person, who I believe is not loyal to his people. At a critical time, he had left his place for whatever reason," Prabowo said in a cabinet meeting on Monday.
Jakarta, IO – President Prabowo Subianto officially received a comprehensive report from Velix Wanggai, chairman of the Executive Committee for the Acceleration of Special Autonomy Development for Papua (KEPP OKP), outlining the work direction, strategic agenda, and roadmap for the region’s development.
During the briefing at the State Palace on Tuesday, Wanggai emphasized that success hinges on “intensive and collaborative communication” between the central government, the committee, and Papuan regional leaders.
Wanggai noted that the committee is actively “building formal and informal communication with extraordinary figures,” including governors, regents, and mayors. He highlighted that these partnerships have generated “many great ideas and breakthroughs” that, while often overlooked by the media, are already being implemented on the ground.
He noted that the national perspective on Papua must shift; it should no longer be viewed through the lens of remoteness, but as a “strategic part of Indonesia’s future.”
“Talking about Papua means talking about Indonesia’s future—its economic future, its energy future, its food future, and of course, Indonesia’s position in the Pacific region within a geopolitical, geoeconomic, and geostrategic context,” Wanggai said.
KEPP OKP outlined several agreed-upon priorities designed to drive immediate impact. On the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program, one of Prabowo administration’s flagship “Quick Win” initiatives, it should be rooted in local culture and community participation. A primary example involves the 2,572 nutrition fulfilment service units (SPPGs) across the region. Wanggai explained that the goal is for these centers to “have a Papuan feel,” specifically involving churches to ensure that “the congregation’s economy and the village economy can also thrive,” directly benefiting local farmers, fishermen, and logistics systems.
The second agenda focuses on direct support for indigenous Papuans. This includes direct cash assistance and expanding the reach of social security programs, in particular BPJS Kesehatan and employment insurance. Wanggai emphasized that “universal health care coverage is essential” for those who have historically had limited access, such as “pastors, elders, fishermen, and laborers.”
Read More: Prabowo Discusses Measures to Accelerate Disaster Recovery as Year-End Holiday Nears
The committee is pushing for an “upstream-to-downstream” strengthening of the local economy by establishing signature products in every district. This includes proposing new “strategic economic zones” in locations like Sorong, Biak, the Bintang Mountains, Merauke, and Kaimana.
Wanggai described these zones as Indonesia’s “gateway to the Pacific region,” suggesting that the creation of a “free trade zone” could further bolster investment and spark positive economic movement across Papua’s diverse coastal regions.
To conclude the report, KEPP OKP detailed a five-year roadmap for accelerated development: focus on the MBG program and “strengthening Quick Win” agenda (2025-26), driving local investment and creating sustainable locally generated revenue (2027), prioritizing the social protection aspects of the population (2028), and culminating in the transition period during the next election year (2029).(des)
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Greenpeace Indonesia and Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat, part of Solidaritas Merauke, have criticized Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's directive to the local authorities in Papua and the Executive Committee for the Acceleration of Special Autonomy Development in Papua on Monday, December 16, 2025. Prabowo ordered massive planting of oil palm, sugarcane, and cassava in Papua to achieve energy self-sufficiency. Oil palm for fuel, sugarcane and cassava for ethanol.
Solidaritas Merauke assesses that such policy will repeat the ecological disaster in Sumatra, which has killed 1,030 people, displaced 205, and injured around 7,000. In pursuit of food and energy self-sufficiency ambition, Prabowo is said to be preparing an ecological disaster for Papua. To achieve this ambition, millions of natural forests in Papua must vanish. "Prabowo also disregards the presence of indigenous people as the holders of Papuan land sovereignty," said the forest campaigner from Greenpeace Indonesia, Asep Komarudin, in a written statement on Wednesday, December 17, 2025.
Greenpeace notes that most oil palm concessions in Papua are located in forested areas, including primary forests and areas of high conservation value. Land clearing, often done long before the plantation becomes productive, leaves permanent ecological damage. If all emissions from land use changes are taken into account, Asep added, palm oil-based bioenergy worsens the climate crisis, rather than solving it. "Referring to oil palm as the path to energy self-sufficiency is a policy illusion that ignores the environmental and social costs borne by the public."
94 Oil Palm Companies in Papua
Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat has identified 94 oil palm plantation companies in Papua covering 1.3 million hectares. Ironically, these oil palm plantations are only controlled by a handful of corporations considered close to the authorities. Large-scale land ownership and forest clearing for energy production and business expansion have brought about social-economic problems, land grabbing, deforestation, and environmental destruction.
In Merauke, South Papua, the food and energy self-sufficiency project has been running for almost two years without the consent of indigenous communities and adequate business feasibility permits. In a short period, more than 22,680 hectares of natural forests have disappeared. Indigenous communities and environmental human rights defenders feel unsafe because the project involves thousands of military personnel and there have been oral, physical, and psychological pressures and threats.
"In this forest conversion scheme, the biggest beneficiaries are large plantation corporations and investors, political and economic elites who enjoy licensing rent," said the advocacy staff of Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat, Tigor Hutapea. Conversely, Tigor added, "Papuan indigenous communities are positioned as obstacles to development or recipients of compensation, not as rightful owners of land and forests."
Tigor mentioned that the approval process often overlooks the true principle of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). Consultations are formal in nature, without complete information, in a situation of imbalanced power relations.
He revealed that floods have occurred in areas surrounding concessions in the Jagebob, Tanah Miring, Muting, and Eligobel Districts, submerging agricultural land and residential areas. The floods are suspected to be due to forest clearing for sugarcane and oil palm plantations in the upper reaches of the river.
Read: Greenpeace Rings Ecological Disaster Alarm as Prabowo Pushes for Papua Palm Oil Plantations
7) Why Prabowo Is Advocating Palm Oil Plantation Expansion in Papua
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto has explained why he is advocating for the cultivation of palm oil in Papua, linking it to the government’s goal of ending Indonesia’s dependency on imported gasoline.
According to Prabowo, achieving fuel self-sufficiency is realistic given Indonesia’s potential for renewable energy sources (EBT) across various regions, including Papua. Policies are being prepared to ensure that energy-producing areas directly benefit from the energy they generate.
“In remote and challenging regions, we should use solar or hydro energy. Solar technology is becoming more affordable and can reach isolated areas, and mini-hydro plants can also be installed in remote locations,” Prabowo said at the State Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, as reported by Antara.
Beyond solar and hydro, the president is promoting bioenergy development using palm oil, sugarcane, and cassava as feedstocks for biodiesel and bioethanol. He said these initiatives could reduce the country’s fuel imports while strengthening regional energy independence.
“All of this is aimed at achieving independence for each region. If solar and hydro energy are available locally, there is no need to transport expensive fuel to remote areas,” Prabowo said. “In Papua, oil palm can produce biofuel, and sugarcane can be used to make ethanol.”
Prabowo also stressed the broader economic impact. Indonesia currently spends around Rp520 trillion annually on fuel imports. Halving this dependence could save the country approximately Rp250 trillion each year.
“This year, we spend hundreds of trillions of rupiah on fuel imports. By planting oil palm, cassava, and sugarcane, and using solar and hydro energy, imagine the savings each year,” Prabowo said.
The government has already begun steps to stop importing diesel by 2026 and aims to eliminate gasoline imports as well. Prabowo expressed confidence that the country’s renewable energy potential, particularly in Papua, makes this target achievable.
Prabowo’s remarks on palm oil come amid concerns linking plantations to floods in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra at the end of November. He previously highlighted the potential of palm oil as a strategic solution during the 61st Anniversary of the Golkar Party in Jakarta on December 5, 2025.
At that event, he warned that crises in the Strait of Hormuz and Yemen could disrupt fuel supplies, underscoring the need for Indonesia to achieve energy and fuel self-sufficiency.
“We are blessed by the Almighty. We have palm oil, and it can be converted into fuel, including diesel and gasoline. We already have the technology,” Prabowo said.
He further cautioned that Indonesia could face an energy crisis if the necessary technology and processing facilities are not prepared.
“Even with the recent disaster in Sumatra alone, transporting fuel to affected areas is extremely difficult. Bridges are damaged, and we have to deliver fuel by plane or by ship,” he added.
President Prabowo Subianto Tuesday (16/12) at the State Palace in Jakarta received a report on the strategic measures that the Government has implemented and will continue to pursue to accelerate the development of Papua’s Special Autonomy.
Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian presented the report during the President’s Directives to Regional Heads across Papua and the Executive Committee for the Acceleration of Papua’s Special Autonomy Development (KEPP OKP).
In his report, the Minister also stated that his Ministry had held a series of meetings with KEPP OKP, both internally and jointly with regional heads throughout Papua.
“To ensure the synchronization and harmonization of task implementation, this constitutes working mechanism of the Committee,” the Minister said.
The Minister also reported the launch of the Papua Development Acceleration Action Plan 2025–2029, which was held earlier today at the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas).
In addition, Tito also underscored the importance of further refining the action plan through dialogue with regional heads elected in the 2024 Regional Head Elections, who were inaugurated in 2025.
“To further refine the recently launched action plan, which will serve as a guiding framework, continued dialogue is essential with the elected regional heads to accommodate their aspirations, so that both top-down and bottom-up approaches can be effectively implemented,” he said.
On that occasion, the Minister also explained that the Executive Committee for the Acceleration of Papua’s Special Autonomy Development (KEPP OKP) is primarily tasked with synchronizing and harmonizing programs of ministries and institutions with those of regional governments.
“We hope this synchronization and harmonization of programs will have a tangible impact on the ground, accelerating development so that the Papuan people can achieve greater prosperity,” he added.
In accordance with Presidential Decree Number 110 of 2025, he said, the KEPP OKP is also mandated to carry out a supervisory function, and periodic evaluations of all development programs in Papua will likewise be conducted.
“We will coordinate with other ministries and agencies to address any issues that may arise, Mr. President. However, should there be matters requiring presidential intervention, this team, this committee led by Mr. Velix, will report directly to you so that appropriate solutions can be formulated,” the Minister stated. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (RIF/EP)
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