5) Papua regions asked to improve special autonomy fund management
A legal aid group called for dialogue and an end to Indonesia's military involvement in Papua amid an ongoing land dispute over a state-backed food and energy project that triggered intense tension and protests.
The Legal Aid Institute of Papua Merauke, based in South Papua province, issued a statement expressing concerns about the military’s alleged questioning of villagers over planting crosses on the disputed land in Merauke.
The area in question has been earmarked for a state-backed National Strategic Project for food, energy, and infrastructure, opposed by local tribal communities, including members of the Kamuyend Clan.
"The military's involvement has raised serious questions about the legal basis for their engagement in civil matters," Tedy Wakum, the group’s coordinator, told UCA News.
Critics say the project threatens the land and livelihood of thousands of tribal people.
However, the Archdiocese of Merauke has supported the project, sparking protests from Catholics who are among the potential victims.
Large-scale food estate and sugarcane plantation projects are already operating in the region, accompanied by new infrastructure cutting through indigenous territories.
As part of the project, the government has started developing a 135-kilometer road linking Wanam to Muting to connect the land area at the heart of this dispute.
Critics say the road would open access for corporate expansion into previously isolated areas that indigenous communities have maintained for generations.
For communities like the Kamuyend Clan, the road is not progress, but a threat, Wakum said.
Local sources say that military soldiers arrived when the tribal people held a blockade of the road on May 23 and questioned protesters.
"They, as holders of customary rights, do not accept the presence of the company and the national strategic project on their ancestral land," Wakum added.
The Kamuyend Clan had first planted crosses in the area on October 8, 2025, prohibiting any activity by outsiders.
Those crosses were removed by government officials. However, the clan replanted them and placed logs across the road to impose a blockade earlier this month.
Rights groups have documented a series of abuses and attacks on tribal people amid the dispute.
On Jan. 23, a shelter owned by Kamuyen Clan chief Esau Kamuyen and his family was burned. The next day, an unknown attacker armed with a machete threatened the chief’s son, Norton Kamuyen.
Esau's family filed police reports, but none have been arrested.
A Catholic group in Merauke Archdiocese came under criticism from Church officials for supporting tribal people and criticizing Archbishop Petrus Canisius Mandagi for backing the government project.
Jayapura, Jubi – Representatives of Papuan women have called for resistance against oppression and National Strategic Projects (PSN) across Papua. The call was made during a free speech forum organized by the Save the Homeland Alliance (SETARA).
The rally, which opposed large-scale investment expansion, militarization, and the exploitation of Papua’s natural resources, was held in the Abepura Circle area of Jayapura City, Papua, on Friday (29/5/2026).
Papuan women’s activist Kamila Yawalka called for resistance to oppression and various national strategic projects that she said have taken away the living spaces of Indigenous Papuan communities.
She urged the Indonesian government to take responsibility for the appropriation of approximately 2.5 million hectares of land in Papua.
Yawalka questioned who the development projects in Papua were truly intended for, saying that Indigenous Papuans continue to face various hardships, especially women and children.
“Who are these land seizures and evictions really for? What kind of life are they trying to build, while Papuans themselves continue to live in hardship, especially us women,” Kamila Yawalka said.
According to her, since the 1990s, Papuan women and children have been among the groups most affected by state projects and armed conflict in Papua. She said projects carried out in Papua have yet to provide tangible benefits to Indigenous communities.
Yawalka said ongoing violence has further worsened the lives of communities, particularly women. She therefore encouraged Papuan women to continue speaking out against the injustice and oppression experienced by Indigenous Papuans.
“Papuan women have great strength to fight against injustice,” she said.
She added that communities could make use of technological developments and social media platforms to raise awareness about issues occurring in Papua.
According to her, social media can serve as an alternative space for sharing information and expressing aspirations when people are unable to physically attend demonstrations.
Yawalka called on Papuan women who are aware of the ongoing oppression to rise against systems that demean and colonize Papuan women and children.
“Even though the challenges we face are enormous, we must continue to speak out and stand together,” she said.
A representative of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), Vero Hubi, stated that KNPB supports the movement rejecting National Strategic Projects and militarism in Papua.
“We support the alliance rejecting investment projects in the form of National Strategic Projects in South Papua and throughout the Papua,” Vero Hubi said.
She also expressed support for Indigenous communities across Papua facing pressure from large-scale investment and development projects.
“We call on all Papuan people to strengthen consolidation and unity in voicing the aspirations of Indigenous Papuan communities,” she said. (*)
Nuevaterra Mambor
Jayapura, Jubi – The Papua Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua) in Merauke has urged President Prabowo Subianto to instruct the Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander to end military involvement in the Indigenous land dispute involving the Kamuyend clan in Merauke Regency, South Papua, and to respect both the crosses erected by Indigenous communities as blockade markers and the order issued by the Jayapura State Administrative Court (PTUN).
Director of LBH Papua Merauke, Teddy Wakum, said that on 24 May 2026, his office received reports alleging the mobilization and involvement of Indonesian Army (TNI-AD) personnel to dismantle blockade actions carried out by the Kamuyend Indigenous clan in Nakias Village, Ngguti District, Merauke Regency, South Papua Province.
According to Wakum, the involvement of military personnel has created fear among Indigenous customary landowners and reflects military intervention in civilian and public security affairs that should be handled by the police.
Based on reports received by LBH Papua Merauke from local residents, around 10 fully armed soldiers arrived at the blockade site in military vehicles on 23 May 2026.
The soldiers reportedly questioned the use of crosses as blockade markers against the construction of a 135-kilometer road project crossing customary lands of the Kamuyend clan.
The Kamuyend clan had previously erected crosses in the area on 8 October 2025 as symbol prohibiting any form of activity on the land.
“However, in reality, there were parties who deliberately removed the crosses without coordination with the Kamuyend clan, while land-clearing activities continued,” Teddy Wakum said in a written press release on Friday (29/5/2026).
“The blockade of the 135-kilometer road project is in accordance with an order from the Chief Judge of the Jayapura State Administrative High Court (PTUN), directing the defendant [the Merauke Regent] that no activities may take place in the disputed area until a legally binding ruling has been issued,” he said.
As legal counsel for the Kamuyend clan, LBH Papua Merauke stressed that since the project began, the clan had consistently expressed firm opposition, which was witnessed directly by the Governor of South Papua during a working visit to Nakias Village in 2025.
LBH Papua Merauke emphasized that all parties are obliged to respect the Kamuyend clan’s decision in accordance with human rights principles.
According to Wakum, the blockade constitutes a peaceful form of protest because both the regional government and the company allegedly failed to uphold the principle of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) as mandated under Law No. 39/1999 on Human Rights.
“In principle, the Kamuyend clan’s actions are guaranteed under Article 18B paragraph (2) of the 1945 Constitution, Article 43 of Law No. 2/2021, and Constitutional Court Decision No. 35/PUU-X/2012 affirming that customary forests are not state forests,” he said.
LBH Papua Merauke argued that the involvement of the TNI in business investment projects such as the 135-kilometer road project not only contradicts the professionalism of the military — which is mandated not to engage in business activities and to uphold human rights under Article 2(d) of the TNI Law — but also created the potential for future human rights violations against the Malind Indigenous community.
Furthermore, the organization said the military’s involvement in securing the road project contradicts the TNI’s constitutional role as a state defense institution tasked with addressing military and armed threats against national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and public safety, as stipulated under Articles 5 and 6 paragraph (1)(a) of the TNI Law.
The presence and involvement of TNI-AD personnel were also described as inconsistent with the military’s principal duties under Article 7 of the TNI Law, because participation in the road project could not be categorized as a Military Operation Other Than War (OMSP), which requires prior political authorization and state policy decisions involving both the government and the House of Representatives (DPR).
LBH Papua Merauke therefore urged the Indonesian President to immediately instruct the TNI Commander to ensure there is no involvement of TNI-AD personnel in the Kamuyend Indigenous land conflict in Merauke and to respect the cross-blockade action carried out by the community.
The organization also called on all parties to comply with and implement the order of the Jayapura State Administrative Court judges to halt all land-clearing activities in the customary territory of the Kamuyend clan.
In addition, LBH Papua Merauke urged Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives, as part of civilian oversight of the military, to evaluate all TNI actions that contradict its official role, duties, and functions, particularly military involvement in national strategic projects. (*)
Document ID: HRM-CAS-072-2026
Region: Indonesia > Highland Papua > Yahukimo > Dekai
Total number of victims: 2
| # | Number of Victims | Name, Details | Gender | Age | Group Affiliation | Violations |
| 1. | 1 | Atinus Payage | male | 16 | Indigenous Peoples, Student | arbitrary detention |
| 2. | 1 | Aman Heluka | male | 17 | Indigenous Peoples, Student | arbitrary detention |
Perpetrator: Republic Indonesia > Indonesian Security Forces > Indonesian Military (TNI) > Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL)
Issues: indigenous peoples
5) Papua regions asked to improve special autonomy fund management
- May 29, 2026 17:50 GMT+700
"As of May, 46 regions in Papua have received the first-quarter Otsus funds, which have been transferred 100 percent by the Finance Ministry," Haluk said after opening the Papua Strategic Analysts (APS) activity here on Friday.
She therefore called on regional leaders in Papua to work swiftly and adapt quickly to various changes occurring at both the national and regional levels.
“My hope for regional heads is that they can work quickly and adapt to the ongoing changes,” Haluk said.
She explained that the central government, through the Home Affairs Ministry, will continue assisting regional administrations in implementing independent and accountable governance so that the use of Otsus funds becomes more targeted.
“Supervision of Otsus fund management continues to be strengthened, especially at every stage of planning, disbursement, and budget accountability across all regions in the Land of Papua,” Haluk said.
She added that the acceleration of Otsus fund disbursement is being supported by an interoperability system involving the Home Affairs Ministry, the Finance Ministry, and other related ministries and agencies.
“I think this acceleration step has already been implemented. It is a leap forward and an improvement in governance that continues to get better as a governance system for the six provinces in the Land of Papua,” she remarked.
Haluk also stressed that regional consistency in managing and accounting for Otsus funds would become an important indicator in measuring the success of local governments in carrying out various development programs.
Related news: Indonesia allocates 3,000 subsidized homes for Southwest Papua
Related news: Indonesia to build over 2,000 homes for tribal chief in Highland Papua
Translator: Qadri, Kenzu
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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