TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government’s claim of ‘empty land’ in Papua reveals a colonial mindset, one that erases indigenous communities existence.
THE statement by Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Minister Nusron Wahid that 474,000 hectares of land in South Papua that was released from forest classification as ‘state land’ and ‘uninhabited’ shows a mistaken and dangerous viewpoint. This statement appears to be reviving the terra nullius doctrine inherited from European colonialism.
The terra nullius doctrine regards land without permanent inhabitants as ‘empty land’ that can be legitimately taken by the state or corporations. Thus, it is understandable that dozens of South Papua residents, who are members of the Merauke Solidarity group, staged a protest in front of Nusron Wahid’s office on October 7, 2025. Their rejection should be read as a moral warning: the government must not repeat colonial practices that have inflicted prolonged suffering.
In Papua, there are owners and guardians of every square inch of forest, savanna, swamp and lake: indigenous people. Perhaps they do not live on the land, but it is their living space—where they hunt, cultivate crops, and preserve the balance of nature. Viewing these customary areas as empty land is a form of denial of the existence of indigenous communities in the map of state policy.
In reality, the government has been far quicker to release forests for commercial interests than to recognize customary ones. Since 2016, the government has redesignated 156 customary forests covering a total of 332,000 hectares despite the fact that according to the Customary Territory Registration Agency, there are 33.6 million hectares of customary areas in Indonesia, including 14.8 million hectares in Papua. Of this area, only seven customary forests in Papua have been recognized by the state, and these cover only 39,000 hectares—less than 0.3 percent of the total customary territories.
Conversely, through Forestry Ministry Decree No. 591/2025 alone, the government rapidly changed the function of 486,000 hectares of forest into non-forest: 334,000 hectares of this in Merauke. The food estate project in Merauke, which is believed to be linked to the interests of tycoons and the military, is a symbol of forest clearance without consent from affected indigenous communities.
Every project that has an impact on customary areas is obliged to follow the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) mechanism as laid down in a number of international conventions. FPIC emphasizes that indigenous community must not come under pressure, consent is needed before permits are issued, decisions are taken after complete information has been provided, and the collective decision of customary people—including the right of refusal—must be respected.
The FPIC principles are not simply an administrative formality, but a demonstration of respect for the authority of indigenous people over their areas. Therefore, Indonesia needs to immediately adopt FPIC as a legal and ethical standard for development in customary areas. And the mechanism should also be integrated within the forestry, environmental, and agrarian permit system. Any forest release process without a participative and fair process must be halted.
Recognition of customary forests is not a gift from the nation, but a fulfillment of constitutional rights and a form of restorative justice for the long history of seizures of customary land. The relationship between the state and indigenous peoples needs to change from domination to respect. Therefore, government officials must abandon the colonial viewpoint that sees customary forests as ‘empty land.’
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2) TPNPB Issues Nine Demands to Indonesian Gov't on Papua Situation Reporter Dani Aswara
October 15, 2025 | 10:38 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Central Command Headquarters of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) has formally urged President Prabowo Subianto and the House of Representatives (DPR) to take decisive action regarding the political status of Papua and the cessation of violence in the conflict zone.
Major General Teryanus Sato, Chief General Staff of the TPNPB, stated that the group's demands were issued in response to the current conditions in Papua. TPNPB spokesperson Sebby Sambom subsequently released the nine formal demands, emphasizing the immediate need for clarity on the region's military status.
"The President and DPR must immediately announce the status of Papua, whether it is included in the Military Operations Area (DOM) or not," Sambom said on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.
The following nine demands were issued by the TPNPB leadership:
1. Status of Papua
The government must immediately clarify whether Papua is formally designated as a Military Operations Area (DOM).
2. Cessation of Aerial Attacks
President Prabowo is demanded to stop all aerial attacks utilizing drones, Brazilian Super Tucano fighter aircraft, Spanish Cassa aircraft, and Serbian and American-made bombs currently being used to bombard civilian and refugee settlements.
3. Compliance with International Law
The TPNPB urges President Prabowo to adhere to the laws of war during ground and aerial operations, stating that current military actions are causing many civilian casualties.
4. Access and Humanitarian Assistance
Local, national, and international humanitarian agencies must be granted direct access to assess the conditions of over 100,000 refugees displaced by the armed conflict, and to immediately provide aid.
5. Return of Civilian Facilities
The Indonesian military must return church buildings, schools, and civilian homes that are currently being used as military posts across various regions of Papua.
6. Access for International Journalists
The TPNPB calls on the government to grant international journalists full access to report directly on the conflict situation.
7. Cessation of Civil Aircraft Use
The military is requested to stop using civil aircraft for the transportation of troops and military logistics in conflict areas.
8. Resolution of Domestic Conflicts
The TPNPB demands that the government resolve the armed conflict in Papua, which has been ongoing for over 63 years, before discussing international conflicts such as the Palestine-Israel or Ukraine-Russia disputes.
9. Cessation of Civil Involvement
Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces Agus Subiyanto is asked to cease the involvement of Police Assistance (Banpol) and Reservist Components (Komcad) in intelligence missions within the conflict-ridden Papua region.
Sebby Sambom concluded the announcement, saying, "This statement is officially announced to the public to draw attention and to be implemented. May the ancestors of the Papuan nation bless us all."
Government Response
In response to the TPNPB statement, Dave Laksono, Deputy Chairman of DPR Commission I, stated that such accusations must be substantiated with evidence, arguing that unsubstantiated claims only incite unrest.
"Our TNI (Indonesian National Armed Forces) are professional soldiers who work in accordance with rules and laws," he asserted on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.
Tempo attempted to reach Presidential Chief of Staff Muhammad Qodari and the Indonesian National Armed Forces Information Center for comment, but there was no response by press time.
Editor’s Choice: How Young Indigenous People Safeguard Customary Forests
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https://asiapacificreport.nz/2025/10/16/wenda-accuses-indonesian-troops-of-bombarding-village-in-star-mountains/
3) Wenda accuses Indonesian troops of bombarding village in Star mountains
By APR editor - October 16, 2025
Asia Pacific Report
Indonesian military forces have again bombed Kiwirok, the site of a massacre in 2021 that killed more than 300 West Papuan civilians, amid worsening violence, alleges a Papuan advocacy group.
“While President Prabowo talks about promoting peace in the Middle East, his military is trying to wipe out West Papua,” said United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP) leader Benny Wenda.
“Evidence gathered by villagers in the Star Mountains shows the Indonesian military using Brazilian fighter jets to target houses, gardens, and cemeteries.”
He said in a statement the village had been destroyed and more civilians had become displaced in their own land, adding to more than 100,000 internal refugees.
The ULMWP website showed images from the attack.
Wenda said the bombing showed again “how the whole world is complicit in the genocide of my people”.
In 2021, Indonesia had used bombs and drones made in Serbia, China and France to kill civilians as revealed in the 2023 documentary Hostage Land: Why Papuan Guerrilla Fighters Keep Taking Hostages.
“Now, it is Brazilian jets that children in Kiwirok see before their homes are destroyed,” Wenda said.
West Papua was being facing several “colonial tactics to crush our spirit and destroy our resistance”.
“What is happening in Kiwirok is happening in different ways across West Papua,” Wenda said. He cited:
- Riots and demos happening in Jayapura after a peaceful demonstration calling for the release Papuan political prisoners was violently crushed;
- Indonesia occupying churches in Intan Jaya in violation of international law as they deployed soldiers for a new military base;
- Indonesian military killing civilian Sadrak Yahome after anti-racism protests in Yalimo, which happenedfollowing Indonesian settlers racially abusing a Papuan student;
- Militarisation happening across the Highlands, with more than 50 villages having being occupied by the TNI [Indonesian military] since August;
- West Papuans being called “monkeys” by Indonesian settlers in Timika; and
- A 52-year-old man being killed by police during a protest against the transfer of political prisoners in Manokwari.
“It isn’t a coincidence that this escalation is happening while Indonesia is increasing environmental destruction in West Papua, trying to steal our resources and rip apart our forest for profit and food security,” Wenda said.
“In Raja Ampat, Merauke, Intan Jaya, and Kiwirok, new plantations and mines are killing our people and land.”
Wenda appealed to Pacific leaders to stand for West Papua as “the rest of the world stands for Palestine”.
“The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) and Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) must respond to this escalation — Indonesia is spilling Pacific and Melanesian blood in West Papua.
“They must not bow to Indonesian chequebook diplomacy.”
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