27/08/2026
🔴INDONESIA: THE MINISTER OF FORESTRY DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE EXISTENCE OF INDIGENOUS PAPUANS
The Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia issued a decision which transforms 486,939 hectares of customary forests into non-forest areas for the Development of the National Food, Energy, and Water Self-Sufficiency Area as part of the national strategic project (PSN). This decision is part of the planned deforestation of 2 million hectares of customary forests in the Land of Papua.
The Minister of Forestry has responded in writing to a lawsuit filed by the Wambon Tribe Indigenous People of Boven Digoel Regency, The advocacy team to save the Papua forests and Indigenous Peoples have made special notes to the Minister’s response.
“The Forestry Minister’s answer implicitly does not recognize the existence of the five plaintiffs as indigenous peoples and owners of customary areas who have owned and managed the customary forests for generations, the Forestry Minister requested that this lawsuit not be accepted”, stated Tigor Hutapea, a representative of the advocacy.
“The advocacy team views that in forestry governance, the Forestry Minister is using a positivistic mindset and adheres to the domein verklaring principle inherited from the Dutch colonial government, thus claiming that customary areas are considered unowned, to be absolutely controlled by the state. This is the cause of the rampant agrarian and natural resource conflicts.”
The lawsuit also highlights the threat of deforestation which leads to dire impacts on the environmental ecosystem. There are 166,325,314 hectares of High Conservation Value (HCV) with significant biological, ecological, social, and cultural values at the local, regional, or global levels. There is the largest peatland area of 51,333 hectares in Boven Digoel and 61,370 hectares of primary forest which must be protected and should not be burdened with permits.
➡ Read the complete Press Release here: www.wrm.org.uy/node/20854
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