West Papua Indigenous Peoples — In mid-July, a number of heavy equipment owned by PT. Permata Nusa Mandiri is still operating to clear forest areas in Nimbokrang District, Jayapura Regency, Papua Province. Although the permit has been revoked, oil palm companies in Papua province continue to carry out land clearing and other operations. PT. PNM is still working, even after President Jokowi’s announcement and the cancellation of the company’s forest area release permit by Environment Minister Siti Nurbaya and local investment officials.
The Facts About West Papua Indigenous Peoples
West Papua indigenous peoples did not remain silent because the company had caused them a lot of losses. What are the facts about it?
1. Bad Impact On The Environment
The land clearing was initially carried out without the knowledge of West Papua indigenous peoples. In addition, the company’s activities have had many negative impacts on the environment and the surrounding community. It also causes the loss of people’s livelihoods, which are not small in number. The local indigenous people claim that they have never relinquished their customary rights over the area which is now the PT PNM area. The community has also lodged a strong protest against the company’s activities which are considered to have damaged their forests a lot.
The Indigenous People in Grime Nawa have asked the Jayapura Regent to revoke PT PNM’s location permit and environmental permit from their customary area because the company was not granted an operating permit by the Indigenous Community. However, the oil palm company continued to operate and displaced nearly 100 hectares of customary forest which had a direct impact on the destruction of the surrounding ecosystem and natural resources.
2. West Papua Indigenous Peoples Protest
The handover of the decree was given at the opening of the Swamening Grime Nawa Culinary Performance event in Berap Village, Nimbokrang District on Saturday, September 24, 2022. All company permits from PT PNM are no longer available, except for the Hak Guna Usaha (HGU) from the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Agency National Land Affairs (ATR/BPN).Protests have been carried out from February to June 2022, but have not received a response. The company continues to act by continuing to massively evict customary areas.
The situation sparked the anger of the Grime Nawa Indigenous People. The traditional leaders, traditional women’s organizations, and the chairman of the Grime Nawa Valley Tribal Customary Council finally held a customary meeting on July 21, 2022. As a result, they rejected the existence of oil palm plantations and PT PNM in the Grime Nawa Valley because it was proven that the company had also taken over land and forests. illegal customs. In addition, the company has damaged the environment, land, and customary law.
3. Permission Has Been Revoked
As is known, President Joko Widodo has officially revoked permits for a number of oil palm plantations, which was followed by a decree from the Minister of Environment and Forestry revoking the permit to release state forest areas for PT PNM. The decision is contained in the Decree of the Minister of Environment and Forestry concerning the revocation of forest area concession permits NO. SK.01/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/1/2022. In addition, the Jayapura Regency Investment and One Stop Service (PTSP) has also written to PT PNM to temporarily suspend the company’s plantation activities.
Wrapping Up
Jayapura Regent Mathius Awoitauw revoked the location and environmental permit of palm oil plantation company PT Permata Nusa Mandiri (PNM) which had seized the Grime Nawa Indigenous Territory in Nimbokrang District, Jayapura Regency, Papua. The revocation of the permit contained in the Jayapura Regent’s Decree (SK) has been submitted to the Chairman of the Grime Nawa Valley Tribe Customary Council as the owner of the customary area. The decision of the customary deliberations was used as the legal basis by West Papua Indigenous Peoples and submitted to the Jayapura Regent Mathius Awoitauw to immediately revoke the permits.
