Indonesia Detains Activists Protesting Land Rights Violations

Sorong Regency, Papua Barat Daya, Indonesia – On 8 May 2025, eleven members of the Malamoi Indigenous Community in Sorong Regency, Papua Barat Daya, were arrested by police amid heightened tensions with palm-oil company PT Inti Kebun Sejahtera (IKSJ). The arrests followed protests and legal actions over alleged encroachment of customary lands by the corporate actor.

The community members include recognized traditional land-owners (pemilik ulayat) from the Motowol, Masinau, Sawat, Klafiyu, and Klawen clans and residents of Ninjomor and Klasari villages. They were first detained in relation to accusations of misappropriating diesel fuel belonging to PT IKSJ, a claim the company made after an internal audit alleging the loss of approximately Rp 200 million.

Protestors maintain that the activists were arrested on dubious charges as retaliation for their longstanding resistance to land grabs and corporate expansion threatening their ancestral territories. The Malamoi community had previously blocked access to the factory and company offices in protest of the detentions. The road blockade on 4 June 2025 was organised to demand action not just from the company but for higher authorities in Jakarta to intervene transparently.

Crucially, the evidence supporting the company’s claims has not — according to community testimonies and independent observers — been made public. Legal observers and human rights groups are calling the arrests part of a broader pattern of criminalisation of Indigenous communities when they challenge powerful corporate or governmental interests.

The detentions have triggered concern among civil society, who warn that this case underscores risks to due process, transparency, and respect for customary land rights, especially in Papua, which has long been a flashpoint for land and environmental conflicts. Indonesia has ratified the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, yet local implementation remains contentious.

Analysts point out that such incidents tend to erode trust between Indigenous communities and authorities, potentially fueling further conflict. Environmental defenders argue that companies operating in resource-rich regions must conduct free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) processes with communities before obtaining or renewing land concessions. They also urge the government to ensure that any legal or criminal proceedings comply with national and international human rights standards.

At this time, the detained activists are facing formal charges from company-aligned authorities; supporters are pushing for independent investigations and transparent judicial processes. The case remains unresolved, and its outcome is being closely watched by Indigenous rights networks, environmental NGOs, and international observers who stress that land rights disputes must be handled in a way that reconciles development with justice.