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December 23, 2024 | 11:04 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios) considers the implementation of the food estate National Strategic Project (PSN) in Merauke, South Papua Province, which is dominated by the central government, to be contrary to the Papuan Special Autonomy Law.
Celios' legal researcher, Muhamad Saleh, said this centralized development approach marginalizes the decision-making control of the Papuan regional government. “There are 133 sectoral regulations in various fields set by the central government to carry out various PSN in the regions, including for the food estate program,” Saleh said via Zoom Meeting on Monday, December 23.
The existence of the National Committee for the Acceleration of Infrastructure Provision (KPPIP), which is responsible for executing the food estate program in Merauke, he said, proves the lack of local government’s role in the project.
This, said Saleh, is contrary to Article 4 paragraph (1) and paragraph (2) of the Papuan Special Autonomy Law. The regulation states that Papua Province has authority across all fields of government, except foreign policy, defense and security, monetary and fiscal, religion, and the judiciary system. Saleh believes that the dominant role of the central government has marginalized regional interests.
“When the central government designed the regulations for PSN, the boundaries between national interest and regional [government’s] authority become increasingly vague,” Saleh said. “This opens up space for the neglect of local aspirations.”
The Merauke food estate project is on the PSN list as of November 2023. The project was promoted and proclaimed to cover more than 2 million hectares in the Food Production Center Area (KSPP).
Meanwhile, the indigenous people of Merauke have expressed objections and rejections of the Merauke PSN project multiple times. They held a hearing with Committee II of the South Papua Regional Government Council (DPD) at the Merauke Regent's Office, Papua, on Monday, December 2.
“We are from the Malind Indigenous Peoples Forum rejected the project from the affected districts, namely Tabonji District, Kimaam District, Ilwayab District, Tubang District, Ngguti District, and Eligobel District,” said the Chair of the Kondo Digul Indigenous Peoples Forum Simon Petrus Balagaize in a press conference, quoted from the live broadcast of the Papua Legal Aid Institute.
The indigenous people of Merauke have also protested at the Ministry of Defense Office on Wednesday, October 16, to demand the halt of the project.
“The project was brutal, without any dissemination of information nor consultation to obtain the agreement of the Indigenous people,” said Father Pius Manu, a religious leader and customary landowner, in a press conference after the protest in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Overall, said Father Pius, the Merauke food estate area consists of five clusters and is spread across 13 districts. All of them are located in the territories of the Malind, Maklew, Khimaima, and Yei Indigenous communities. It is estimated that more than 50,000 Indigenous people are living in 40 villages in and around the PSN Merauke project site.
According to Father Pius, heavy vehicles entered the indigenous territory and displaced and destroyed natural forests, hamlets, and swamps. They were escorted by security forces from the police and military personnel.
“We are hurt and grieving because our customary lands and forests, the place where animals live and the sacred place of Alipinek that we protect, inherited by our ancestors, were destroyed so completely,” said Yasinta Gebze, a representative of the affected indigenous people from Wobikel Village, Ilwayab District, Merauke Regency.
Irsyan Hasyim and Anastasya Lavenia contributed to the writing of this article.
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