2) Yulian Karet receives government award for protecting customary forest
A group of soldiers stationed in Indonesia’s predominantly Christian Papua region intimidated and forced Catholics to record a video thanking the president and armed forces inside a village church, alleged a Catholic youth group.
The armed soldiers entered Saint Cecilia Wuloni Station Church under the St. Peter Ilaga Parish of Timika Diocese in Central Papua and told the Catholics present to record the video on Aug. 9, local sources confirmed.
They were reportedly told to express their gratitude to President Prabowo Subianto and the military for helping repair the church.
The incident sparked an uproar among local Catholics who say there was no reason to thank the president or the military as they continue to live in insecurity due to conflict between security forces and rebels.
In fact, the small village church had sustained significant damage in 2021-2022 during military operations against rebels from the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB-OPM), according to Church sources.
In a statement on Aug. 12, the Central Papua branch of Catholic Youth said the latest incident has triggered more fear among local people who continue to suffer due to violence in the region.
“We urge President Prabowo Subianto to give serious attention to the incident,” the group’s head Tino Mote said in the statement.
He called on the president, through the Cenderawasih Military Command, to issue a clarification over the incident and to prevent such actions in the future.
“The way security forces harshly entered the church yard, took video and asked people to say ‘thank you’ for the authorities’ services in remote Papua is improper and makes the faithful even more traumatized,” he said.
Mote said the Catholic Youth rejected any security operation that disrupted worship or created fear in church spaces.
“This violates human rights concerning freedom of religion and worship according to the faith and belief of the people,” he said.
A Catholic based in Jayapura, the provincial capital, warned that the military’s action could push Catholics into harm’s way.
“The Indonesian military is fighting the pro-independence groups. Involving religion, including Catholic voices in support of the military, for any reason, can be dangerous,” he told UCA News on condition of anonymity.
“Pro-independence rebels could portray them as government supporters and target them. This will worsen the conflict,” he added.
In a statement on Aug. 12, Wirya Arthadiguna, spokesperson for the Habema Operations Command, said an internal review found no instruction or action by soldiers intended to pressure church leaders or local Catholics into thanking the military or the government.
He said that churches and religious leaders are important partners in maintaining peace in Papua.
“We respect the church, religious leaders and all the faithful. The presence of the military among the people must provide a sense of security, not fear,” Arthadiguna said
He said soldiers had been instructed to communicate humanely and respect local customs and religious life.
Resource-rich Papua has endured conflict between security forces and pro-independence rebels since Indonesia annexed the region after the end of Dutch colonial rule in the 1960s.
2) Yulian Karet receives government award for protecting customary forest
News Desk August 13, 2026
Sorong, Jubi – Yulian Karet, who has spent years protecting the Afsyia customary forest in South Sorong Regency, Southwest Papua, has received an award from Indonesia’s Ministry of Culture recognizing his work as a guardian of customary forests.
The award was presented during the main event of the Domberay Indigenous Youth Jamboree in Sorong City on Tuesday (August 11, 2026).
The certificate, numbered 250/L2/KB.07.11/2026, was signed by Sjamsul Hadi, Director of Belief in God Almighty and Indigenous Communities at the Ministry of
Culture’s Directorate General of Cultural and Traditional Protection.
The ministry recognized Karet as a cultural conservationist in Tanah Papua for his dedication to advancing culture, maintaining harmony between communities and nature, and strengthening the self-reliance of Indigenous communities.
Karet said protecting customary land, forests and Indigenous communities’ living spaces was more than social work. He described it as an integral part of the struggle to preserve Papuan culture.
He said the award should not be viewed as a personal achievement, but as recognition of Indigenous communities that have long worked to protect their customary forests and lands from various threats.
“I do not see this award as being only for me. It is an award for Indigenous communities who have protected the forests, the land and life itself. We protect the customary forest because that is where our lives are,” Karet said on Wednesday
(August 12, 2026).
Karet said Indigenous communities could not be separated from the forest, which provides food and traditional medicines and serves as a source of livelihood. The forest also carries historical and cultural ties that are central to Indigenous identity.
He urged the South Sorong Regency Government not to treat oil palm investment as a shortcut to economic development, arguing that plantation expansion threatens customary forests and Indigenous territories.
“The South Sorong government must stop accepting oil palm investment. We are the
best guardians of our customary forests. We protect the forest not for our own interests, but for the present and future generations. The forests we protect must not be handed over to oil palm companies,” he said.
Karet said the award from the Ministry of Culture should serve as a reminder to local governments that communities protecting forests for decades need meaningful protection, rather than recognition limited to awards and ceremonies.
“We cannot be recognized on the one hand as cultural custodians while, on the other, our customary forests are opened up for investment that could destroy our communities’ way of life,” he said.
He said development should not come at the expense of Indigenous people’s land, forests, food sources and cultural identity. Karet stressed that Indigenous communities were not opposed to development, but said development should not involve taking customary land or destroying forests.
He questioned who development was ultimately intended to benefit if it resulted in Indigenous communities losing their land, forests, food sources and identity. He therefore called on the South Sorong government to make the protection of customary territories a priority.
Indigenous communities that have protected forests for decades, he said, should not be treated merely as those who bear the consequences of development decisions.
Karet said the award would motivate him to continue protecting the Afsyia customary
forest. For him, the recognition also carries a greater responsibility to ensure the forest remains intact and can be passed on to future generations.
“We will continue protecting our customary forest, because if the forest disappears, the culture will disappear too. If the land is lost, the identity of Indigenous communities will also be lost,” Karet said. (*)
