Jayapura, Jubi – Solidaritas Merauke has urged police to stop what it describes as the criminalisation of Ariston Moiwend Buako, a Malind Indigenous person in Merauke, South Papua, who has been defending his customary land from a National Strategic Project (PSN).
Director of the Papua Merauke Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua Merauke), Teddy Wakum, said Solidaritas Merauke had assisted two Malind Indigenous people who were allegedly criminalised in 2025.
They were Vincent Kwipalo and Willbrodus Wananjay, who were allegedly criminalised after obstructing an excavator belonging to sugarcane company Murni Nusantara while it was clearing Kwipalo’s customary land.
“A similar situation is being experienced by Ariston Moiwend Buako, one of the Indigenous people affected by the PSN for food security and the construction of the new Wanam Airport in Merauke,” Wakum said in a written statement on Tuesday (22/9/2026).
He said Ariston was facing legal proceedings after his community stopped what it described as the seizure of customary land by EIKA AMS KSO in Ilwayab district.
The action was taken because the local government and company had not informed or sought permission from customary landowners before beginning operations, Wakum said. He said there had been no consultation or discussions with the affected clans.
The Moiwend clan suspects the company had obtained permits unilaterally from certain individuals to create the impression that all affected clans had agreed to the project.
“The company cleared the forest and customary land belonging to the Moiwend Buako clan. Ariston and his community discovered the encroachment while conducting a patrol on 23 August 2026,” he said.
Wakum said the company had cleared forest and encroached beyond the boundaries between the customary territories of the Moiwend Buako clan, the Samkakai clan, the Indigenous community of Bibikem village and the Indigenous community of Yulili.
He said Ariston’s family returned to monitor the area and found that the company’s activities were continuing on 24 August 2026.
The family then took action by damaging sand-cement structures at the site, Wakum said. The intention was to stop all activities and require the company to communicate with the Moiwend Buako clan as the customary landowners.
Wakum added that the Moiwend Buako clan’s opposition to the activities was based on what it described as the government’s seizure of customary land in the name of the food-security PSN.
Following the incident, the family was informed that the Ilwayab police chief had asked Ariston to report to the police station.
The family did not comply with the request. Instead, they urged the Ilwayab police chief to identify the party that had allegedly granted unilateral permission for the planned road construction.
Wakum said the Ilwayab police chief, Mandala commander, Ilwayab district head, 15 Indonesian Army personnel, nine plain-clothes men allegedly carrying pistols and eight others believed to be from Indonesia’s State Intelligence Agency (BIN) or Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) went to Ariston’s home at about 1am on 26 August 2026.
“The combined security personnel said they had come to seek information about the incident involving the prohibition of EIKA AMS KSO’s allegedly illegal activities and the alleged damage that occurred on 23 August 2026,” he said.
Wakum said Ariston felt intimidated and pressured after seeing the group of security personnel. He subsequently went to the Ilwayab police station to explain what had happened.
The Merauke Police later issued letters numbered B / 399 / IX / RES.1.24 / 2026 and B / 390 / IX / RES.1.24 / 2026, inviting Ariston to provide clarification and undergo questioning over the alleged destruction and burning of sand-cement structures.
“We consider the police report filed against Ariston to be an attempt to criminalise Indigenous people in order to weaken and silence them in their efforts to defend their customary land,” Wakum said.
He said that if police continued to pursue the case while siding with the company, it would set a bad precedent for the wider community.
The police institution, he said, would be seen as unprofessional, favouring capital owners and using the criminalisation of Indigenous people to facilitate the seizure of customary land.
Solidaritas Merauke called on the Papua Police chief and the Mandala Trikora Military Commander to immediately order personnel on the ground to respect and protect Malind Indigenous people, including Ariston Moiwend, who is defending his traditional rights guaranteed under Article 18B of the 1945 Constitution, Article 6 of Law No. 39/1999, Article 43 of Law No. 2/2021 and Merauke Regency Regulation No. 5/2013.
It also called on the Papua Police chief and the Mandala Trikora Military Commander to order their personnel to stop what it described as violations of Ariston Moiwend and his family’s right to security.
The Papua Police chief was also urged to order the Merauke Police chief to immediately stop what Solidaritas Merauke described as the criminalisation of Ariston Moiwend for defending his traditional rights.
The Papua Police chief was further urged to order the Merauke Police chief to take legal action by summoning and questioning the company representatives responsible for clearing the customary land and forest belonging to the Moiwend Buako clan and other local clans, and to pursue fair law enforcement for the alleged victims.
The governor of South Papua, speaker of the South Papua Legislative Council, chairperson of the South Papua Papuan People’s Council (MRP) and Merauke regent were urged to respect and protect Malind Indigenous people, particularly Ariston Moiwend, in his efforts to defend his traditional rights.
The chairperson of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) was also urged to monitor alleged human rights violations in Papua, particularly those affecting the Moiwend Buako Indigenous clan in Ilwayab district, Merauke Regency, South Papua. (*)
