TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Papua Merauke has declared its full support for the Fellowship of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) in rejecting National Strategic Projects (PSN) across Papua. This stance follows the Plenary Session of the PGI Working Committee (MPL-PGI) 2026, held in Merauke from January 30 to February 2, 2026.
The session was attended by delegates from 105 member churches, 30 PGI regional branches from across Indonesia, ecumenical institutions, and PGI partners, as well as officials from South Papua Province. LBH Papua Merauke considers PGI's firm position worthy of support, as the declaration is based on documented legal violations and human rights abuses occurring in the land of Papua.
In addition to rejecting the PSN, the MPL-PGI session produced two other primary stances: the rejection of militarism and authoritarianism, and a call to respect democracy and human rights. LBH Papua Merauke, which has been advocating for indigenous communities affected by the PSN in Merauke, emphasized that President Prabowo Subianto is obliged to acknowledge the session's outcomes.
"It is time for the church to stand with those who have become victims of injustice due to government policies," LBH Papua Merauke Director Teddy Wakum stated in a written release on Wednesday, February 4, 2026.
Based on LBH Papua Merauke's findings, the implementation of the Merauke PSN took place without meaningful consultation or Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), which the government and companies are required to secure from affected indigenous communities. Teddy noted that these violations occurred in Wanam Village, Ilwayab District, directly impacting the Moiwend Basik-basik and Gebze clans, among others.
LBH Papua Merauke also identified similar conditions in Honggari and Dumande Villages, Malind District. In these areas, the institute found a complete lack of meaningful consultation regarding the implementation of the strategic projects.
Furthermore, the implementation of the Merauke PSN, which has been underway for over a year, is believed to have sparked various issues within Malind indigenous communities. These impacts include inter-community conflicts, coercive practices, the destruction of food sources, environmental degradation, and the loss of critical ecosystems.
"To date, tens of thousands of hectares of land have been affected, as seen in Wanam and other areas, including Nakias, Jagebob, and 75 families in Kampung Soa, Tanah Miring District," Teddy said.
LBH Papua Merauke also cited findings from the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) regarding the Merauke PSN during 2024-2025. In its monitoring, Komnas HAM identified various alleged human rights violations, including the disregard for FPIC principles, the denial of customary land rights, the shrinking of living spaces, forced evictions, cultural destruction, and the involvement of security forces in Wanam.
LBH Papua Merauke asserts that the existence of indigenous communities is recognized under Article 18B paragraph (2) of the 1945 Constitution, Law Number 2 of 2021 concerning the Second Amendment to Law Number 21 of 2001 concerning Special Autonomy for the Province of Papua Article 43, Law Number 39 of 1999 concerning Human Rights, and Constitutional Court Decision Number 35/PUU-X/2012, which states that customary forests are not state forests.
"LBH Papua Merauke believes that what the indigenous communities in Wanam have experienced constitutes a strong violation of Article 385 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code," Teddy stated.
Together with Solidaritas Merauke, LBH Papua Merauke presented five core demands. First, they fully support PGI’s stance in defending indigenous communities who reject the PSN in Tanah Papua. Second, they back PGI’s rejection of militarism and urge the President to evaluate the military presence at the Merauke PSN site and across the Papua region.
Third, LBH Papua Merauke urges President Prabowo Subianto to acknowledge the MPL-PGI session results as a commitment to human rights and to halt the Merauke PSN. Fourth, the institute requests that the President engage in dialogue with PGI, affected indigenous communities, and other religious leaders who oppose the project.
Fifth, LBH Papua Merauke urges the President to instruct the Ministry of Defense to halt all activities with the Jhonlin Group in Wanam. "Withdraw all forces from Wanam because their presence instills fear and trauma in communities whose customary land rights have been seized for the PSN," Teddy concluded.
Read: Efforts to Save Raja Ampat's Endangered Zebra Sharks
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
