Sorong, Jubi – Indigenous rights activist in Southwest Papua, Ferry Onim, has called on certain officials in South Sorong Regency (Sorsel) to stop intimidating environmental activists in the region.
Onim’s statement follows reports of intimidation allegedly carried out by individuals believed to be government officials and police officers against environmental activists in South Sorong.
The alleged intimidation is believed to be linked to an environmental action held during the commemoration of World Environment Day on June 5, 2026. During the event, environmental activists transported garbage to the South Sorong Regent’s Office as a form of protest highlighting waste management and environmental issues in the regency.
According to the activists, several hours after the demonstration ended, they befan receiving threats and other forms of intimidation.
One activist, identified by the initials OS, said they received a phone call from an individual believed to be a member of the security forces. OS recorded the conversation as evidence.
Later that evening, two other activists, identified as YK and NS, reported receiving phone calls and WhatsApp messages from a person believed to be an official within the South Sorong Regency Government.
The official reportedly questioned why the activists had brought garbage to the regent’s office and suggested that the action may have been driven by a particular agenda.
According to the activists, one message read: “Those youths who brought the garbage earlier, I have already discussed this with the police. What was their purpose in bringing the garbage to the regent’s office? What mission are they pursuing?”
Another activist, identified as ME, alleged that they were confronted and pressured by a government contract employee (P3K), identified by the initial M.
ME claimed that the individual pushed them, causing them to fall. As a result, the activist’s right leg struck a table and suffered bruising.
The activists believe that the series of phone calls, text messages, psychological pressure, and alleged physical violence constitute intimidation aimed at suppressing freedom of expression and environmental advocacy efforts.
Onim emphasized that the criticism expressed by environmental activists was not intended to undermine the government, but rather reflected public concern and a shared responsibility to protect the environment.
“We ask [certain officials within] the South Sorong Regency Government to stop intimidating environmental advocates. The government should be proud that there are still members of the community who care enough to continuously raise concerns about environmental issues,” Onim told Jubi in Sorong on June 10, 2026.
According to Onim, the government, communities, youth organizations, schools, civic groups, and environmental activists all share responsibility for finding solutions and taking concrete action to maintain environmental cleanliness.
For that reason, he argued, the government should create space for dialogue and cooperation with all stakeholders, rather than silencing or suspecting those who are concerned about environmental protection.
He noted that environmental activists had previously submitted recommendations and sent letters to relevant institutions regarding waste management problems in the area, but no follow-up action had been taken by the responsible agencies.
“Why is it that action is only taken after public criticism emerges, while previous reports and recommendations appear to have been ignored?” he said.
Onim added that World Environment Day should serve as a moment for evaluating government performance in addressing environmental challenges.
He stressed that law enforcement agencies and local governments should protect citizens who advocate for the public interest, rather than creating fear among those who voice criticism.
“These are citizens exercising their constitutional right to express opinions for the benefit of the broader community and the protection of the environment,” he said.
“There must be no attempt to silence the voices of the people simply because they are raising concerns about environmental problems in South Sorong. The government should not be intolerant of criticism,” he added. (*)
2) English Language Skills Program in Central Papua Exceeds Participant Target
IN PACNEWS READING TIME: 3 MINS READ JUNE 12, 2026 0 Author : Arjuna Pademme Editor : Nuevaterra Mambor
Jayapura, Jubi – An English language skills development program initiated through a partnership between the Syena Ahoro Papua Foundation (SAPA Foundation) and the Central Papua Provincial Education and Culture Office has surpassed its initial target.
Originally designed to reach 875 students across three regencies, the program ultimately attracted 980 participants, reflecting strong enthusiasm from the education sector in the region.
The month-long English course program was conducted in the regencies of Nabire, Dogiyai, and Deiyai. It involved 980 students from elementary, junior high, and senior high/vocational schools as part of efforts to improve educational quality and English proficiency among Central Papua’s younger generation, equipping them to face future educational challenges and global competition.
SAPA Foundation Chairperson Christywella Saroy expressed gratitude for the program’s achievement in exceeding its participant target. “For one month, SAPA Foundation implemented the English language course program in three regencies of Central Papua—Nabire, Dogiyai, and Deiyai. From an initial target of 875 students, we successfully reached 980 participants from elementary to senior high/vocational levels,” Saroy said in a statement on Thursday.
She added that the program benefited 21 partner schools and had a positive impact on 10 additional schools.
“The program has also provided benefits to 21 partner schools and created positive impacts on 10 other schools,” she said.
According to Saroy, the program’s success demonstrates the strong enthusiasm of students, schools, and local communities for English language learning.
As a result, SAPA Foundation hopes similar initiatives can continue with a longer duration of three to four months, allowing students more time to strengthen their English skills.
Through the collaboration between the Central Papua Provincial Government and SAPA Foundation, it is expected that more young people in Central Papua will gain strong English proficiency, opening wider access to education, information, and opportunities at both national and international levels.
The program aims to improve students’ English-language competency so they are better prepared to pursue higher education and compete in a globalized world.
“Various materials were delivered interactively, covering speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills, and were enriched with practical exercises to make learning easier to understand,” Saroy said.
Before the courses began, SAPA Foundation organized a three-day Capacity Building In-House Training for Tutors and Teachers attended by 16 tutors and eight teachers. The training was designed to equip educators with more interactive, engaging, and student-friendly teaching methods.
At the end of the training, participants demonstrated the methods they had learned through micro-teaching sessions.
Following the training, tutors and teachers were assigned to program sites in Nabire, Dogiyai, and Deiyai to conduct English language courses in target schools.
To ensure the courses did not disrupt regular classroom activities, classes were held outside normal school hours.
Throughout the program, students attended English lessons daily, with each session lasting three to four teaching periods over a span of three to four weeks.
Using an interactive and enjoyable learning approach, students were given opportunities to strengthen their foundational English skills, including vocabulary acquisition, pronunciation, sentence construction, and speaking ability.
The intensive schedule was expected to help students develop and apply their English skills more quickly in everyday life.
Head of the Data and Education Facilitation Section at the Central Papua Provincial Education and Culture Office, Medelky Anouw, said the program represents an early step in preparing students for upcoming national policies aimed at strengthening English language instruction in schools.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education plans to make English a compulsory subject in schools, beginning at the elementary level in 2027.
To anticipate the policy, the Central Papua Provincial Government, through the Education and Culture Office, launched the course program as a foundational initiative. “We believe that English is a window to the world. Schoolchildren need to be equipped with English skills so they can compete at both the national and global levels,” Anouw said.
As part of the program evaluation, SAPA Foundation also organized English competitions in all three regencies to assess students’ progress after one month of English instruction.
The competitions featured several categories, including Flash Card Race, Spelling Bee, Vocabulary Race, Sentence Building, and Picture Talk.
Through these activities, students were not only tested on their English proficiency but were also encouraged to become more confident in actively using the language.
Participants responded positively to the program, saying they gained valuable new knowledge and felt more confident speaking English.
“I used to be afraid of speaking English, but now I’m much more confident. The teaching methods were fun and easy to understand,” said one student participant from Nabire.
SAPA Foundation is committed to improving educational quality, developing youth capacity, and empowering communities across Papua through education, training, skills development, and entrepreneurship programs.
1) Pig Feast explores Indigenous land rights in West Papua but key leader Mama Yasinta changed her tune
By Hellena Souisa Topic:Activism
Yasinta Moiwend vanished without a trace.
She could not be reached by phone, and her family have no idea where she is after she was last seen near her home in Ilwayab district in West Papua late last month.
Nearly a week after her disappearance, the Indigenous community leader of the Marind people appeared on television thousands of kilometres away in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, flanked by her lawyer.
Exactly how she got there has sparked a storm of rumour and controversy.
Mama Yasinta, as she is widely known, gained national attention in Indonesia after appearing in the documentary Pig Feast: Colonialism in Our Time.
The film by Dandhy Dwi Laksono and Cypri Jehan Paju Dale was viewed more than 13 million times on YouTube in just two weeks.
It was also live screened some 2,000 times in Indonesia and overseas, including in Australia.
In the documentary, Mama Yasinta is portrayed as one of the Indigenous figures opposing Indonesia's National Strategic Project (PSN) after forests and wetlands that had long supported her family's livelihood were taken over for development projects.
Before contact with her family was lost, a video began circulating online showing the 64-year-old flipping her position and expressing support for the PSN.
"We were shocked when we saw the video. Mama had suddenly changed direction," Yasinta's nephew Esau Maguo Kahol told the ABC.
"It felt like three years of struggle had been washed away in a single day. I couldn't sleep after watching it.”
Rumours of private jet and military involvement
Mr Kahol said Mama Yasinta had left the village without her family's knowledge.
He also said the family had been told by locals in the area that she stayed overnight at an Indonesian military post before allegedly being taken out of the village alongside military personnel and district officials linked to the PSN.
The ABC contacted the Indonesian defence ministry for comment.
Mr Kahol said the family was also told Yasinta flew out on a private jet on May 25.
Arnoldus Anda from Papua legal aid organisation LBH Papua made similar claims, citing locals.
He told Indonesian media that she was picked up in a private jet belonging to the PT Jhonlin Group, accompanied by Ilwayab district head Christin Rumlus and Mandala command officers, before flying to Jakarta.
PT Jhonlin Group is owned by Indonesian businessman Andi Syamsuddin Arsyad, known as Haji Isam.
In Pig Feast, Haji Isam is described as being involved in the government's food estate project through the PT Jhonlin Group, which cleared millions of hectares of forest in Merauke, Boven Digoel and Mappi in Papua.
The ABC contacted Christin Rumlus and PT Jhonlin Group for comment, but did not receive a response.
Mr Kahol questioned both Mama Yasinta's sudden departure and her apparent change of stance, saying he suspected she may have been pressured.
The ABC attempted to contact Mama Yasinta directly but was unable to reach her.
Pig Feast plot twist
Five days after she was reported missing, Mama Yasinta appeared on Indonesian television and in national media coverage.
Accompanied by a lawyer, she visited Jakarta Metropolitan Office headquarters to file a complaint against Pig Feast director Dandhy Dwi Laksono and John Teddy Wakum, the director of the Merauke branch of LBH Papua, under Indonesia's Personal Data Protection Law.
"Mama Sinta reported alleged fraud and the use of personal data without consent," Metro Jaya Police Senior Commissioner Budi Hermanto said last week.
At the police headquarters, Mama Yasinta said she objected to her image being used in Pig Feast and called for the "documentary screenings to be stopped".
In another video circulating online, she denied claims she had travelled on a private jet or was under pressure, saying she went to Jakarta on her own initiative.
"That's not true. I travelled on a regular passenger plane. I did not go to Merauke or Boven Digoel using Haji Isam's helicopter. None of that happened, it's nonsense … and I've never even met Haji Isam," she said.
"I came by myself. Nobody asked me to come. The military did not pick me up. There was no intimidation. Why is everyone making such a fuss about me?"
But Mr Kahol did not believe her explanation.
"I believe Mama is lying. We are poor villagers. People from the village don't suddenly have enough money to travel by plane like that," he said.
"Where did the money come from? For flights, transport, accommodation in Jakarta, and the lawyer?”
He said the family regretted Mama Yasinta's decision to report Dandhy Laksono and Teddy Wakum, noting that the film was shot over a number of years.
He said she never raised concerns with the family about her appearance in the documentary, or about not being compensated for her role in it.
Pig Feast's controversy
Set in South Papua, the documentary follows Indigenous communities, including the Marind, Awyu, Yei and Muyu peoples, who say they are losing their ancestral lands and livelihoods because of the PSN.
The title Pig Feast, or Pesta Babi in Indonesian, comes from a tradition of the Muyu people in West Papua known as Awon Atatbon, a customary ritual involving pigs as important social and cultural symbols tied to the protection of the natural environment.
The 90-minute film examines tensions between Indigenous Papuans and the project, and claims that the government's food estate program is being used to facilitate a large-scale bioethanol development that benefits commercial interests.
Indonesia's food estate program in West Papua, primarily concentrated in the Merauke region, is a massive national strategic project aimed at boosting domestic food and energy production.
The government plans to convert millions of hectares of tropical forests and Indigenous customary lands into large-scale, industrialised agricultural zones for rice, sugar cane, and corn.
The documentary also examines three issues rarely covered in Indonesia's mainstream media: what it describes as the world's largest ongoing deforestation project involving the clearing of around 2.5 million hectares of tropical rainforest; the existence of an estimated 107,000 internally displaced people; and the continuing armed conflict in the region.
It explores the wider political and economic forces surrounding the project, including allegations of military involvement.
The documentary also traces Australia's footprint in the PSN, highlighting the involvement of Sugar Research Australia in developing sugarcane varieties planted in West Papua.
The documentary's controversial claims have sparked strong reactions.
Ekspedisi Indonesia Baru, one of the documentary's production collaborators, said about 50 of the 2,000 live screenings held so far had been disrupted or cancelled before the film was released on YouTube and before Mama Yasinta travelled to Jakarta.
He said the reasons varied, ranging from claims that the "title is provocative", the need to "maintain public order" and "anticipate security concerns", to allegations of "failure to coordinate permits".
Off-screen, director Dandhy Laksono has been targeted on social media, where he has been labelled a "foreign agent" and provocateur.
But Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra, said he never instructed local authorities to shut down or ban public screenings.
"Let people watch it," Mr Mahendra said.
"After that, discussions and debates can take place. That way, the public becomes more critical, pros and cons can emerge."
Mama Yasinta receives support
The story of Pig Feast appears far from over.
Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights, Kommas HAM, is investigating allegations that Mama Yasinta was pressured to complain about the documentary.
"She is living in conditions of extreme poverty … she is a woman, she is Papuan, and she is highly vulnerable," said the deputy chair of Kommas HAM, Putu Elvina.
" She does not have the resources or power to fight on her own. “
Police say they are still reviewing Mama Yasinta's complaint and have not yet summoned witnesses or those named in the report.
Pig Feast director Dandhy Dwi Laksono was contacted by the ABC but declined to comment.
Mr Laksono has made few public comments since Mama Yasinta lodged her complaint.
On social media, he urged the public not to judge Mama Yasinta and to respect whatever choice she made.
He said the latest developments involving her appeared to be a "strategy" by certain parties "to slowly shift attention away from the issue of colonialism in Papua".
"This is where our collective commonsense is being insulted," he said online.
Back in West Papua, Esau Kahol and his family said they were still waiting for Mama Yasinta to return home.
"Even though we live with very little, Mama means everything to us," he said.
It is believed Mama Yasinta is still in Jakarta, but it is unclear with whom or under what circumstances.
