Jayapura, Jubi – Unidentified individuals have damaged and burned a black cross erected by the Kamuyend clan as a traditional prohibition marker, or sasi, in Nakias village, Ngguti district, Merauke regency, South Papua province. The cross was destroyed and burned on Sunday (1 November 2026).
The Kamuyend clan erected the sasi on their customary land as an act of protection against what they described as arbitrary actions by the Indonesia government through Merauke Regent’s Decree No. 200.3.3.3/1105/2025, which approved the construction of a 135-kilometre road through their customary territory.
Merauke Solidarity said unidentified individuals had removed and burned the black cross erected by the Kamuyend clan on their customary land and forest, which they said had been seized and forcibly cleared.
The group suspects the removal and burning of the cross were part of a broader pattern of violence and intimidation targeting the Kamuyend Indigenous community.
This follows the clan’s firm opposition to relinquishing its customary land rights for the National Strategic Project (PSN).
A similar incident occurred on 3 March 2026, when a cross erected by the Kamuyend clan was removed. In a separate incident, eight crosses belonging to the Moiwend Buako clan were also removed and disappeared.
“The black cross erected by the Kamuyend clan serves as a traditional prohibition marker and a symbol of resistance against the injustice of government policies that have disposed them of their land and damaged their livelihoods,” Merauke Solidarity said in a press release on Tuesday (3 November 2026).
The group said the black cross was not simply a piece of wood driven into the ground, but a sacred symbol of resistance and a message of rejection against the forced clearing of their customary forests and land.
It also represents the spiritual connection between their ancestors, customary land and their struggle for justice, the group said.
Merauke Solidarity said the incident demonstrated what it described as the failure of the Merauke regency administration, the South Papua provincial government and the Indonesian government to resolve conflicts affecting Indigenous communities, as well as a lack of political will to address the issue.
The group said the state had an obligation to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of Indigenous people, which are recognized and protected under Article 18B(2) of the 1945 Constitution, Article 43 Law No. 2/2021 of the Second Amendment to the Special Autonomy Law for Papua, Law No. 39/1999 on Human Rights, and Constitutional Court Decision No. 35/PUU-X/2012.
Merauke Solidarity said it strongly condemned what it described as acts of thuggery and violence by unidentified individuals allegedly trained and supporting the National Strategic Project (PSN), who removed the Black Cross from the Kamuyend clan’s customary land in Ngguti district.
The group called on the President, the South Papua governor, the Merauke regent and all relevant state institutions to establish a fact-finding team to identify those responsible for the intimidation and the individuals allegedly behind the removal and destruction of the Black Cross in Merauke.
It said the government had an obligation to protect Indigenous communities and ensure their safety as they seek justice and defend their customary land in Ngguti district.
Merauke Solidarity also called on the government and companies to immediately cease all activities on the Kamuyend clan’s customary land in Ngguti district. (*)
