Manokwari, WartaGlobal.id – The Papua Law Enforcement and Human Rights Coalition has urged the President of the Republic of Indonesia to immediately instruct the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) Commander to halt the construction of the Yonif TP 858/MSB Battalion Headquarters in Oridek District, Biak Numfor Regency. The project is considered to be fraught with legal violations and has the potential to trigger agrarian conflict.
In a written statement received on Monday (March 23, 2026), the coalition emphasized that the development, which covers approximately 56 hectares of land, has disregarded the rights of the indigenous Byak community. The land is claimed to belong to nine clans, yet the process of land release allegedly did not involve proper deliberation as mandated under Law Number 2 of 2021.
The coalition also highlighted the alleged involvement of military officials, including the Commander of the XVII/Cenderawasih Military Regional Command, the Commander of District Military Command 1708/BN, and the Commander of Yonif TP 858, who are considered responsible for violations ranging from indigenous land rights and spatial planning regulations to damage to protected forest areas and water sources.
Furthermore, the deployment of approximately 1,720 military personnel to Biak and Supiori since November 2025 is said to have escalated tensions between indigenous communities and security forces. The construction of the headquarters within a protected forest area is also believed to lack the required forest-use permit, potentially violating forestry and environmental regulations.
The coalition stated that land clearing activities carried out without proper permits could be classified as criminal acts of forest destruction and violations of regional spatial planning laws. The impacts extend beyond the loss of customary land, posing serious threats to water sources that sustain the livelihoods of the Biak community.
The dispute has become increasingly complex following claims that negotiations involved only one clan that does not hold full ownership rights over the land. The Biak Regional Legislative Council (DPRD Biak) has encouraged resolution through customary court mechanisms in an effort to prevent horizontal conflict.
The coalition has taken several legal steps, including reporting alleged human rights violations to the Papua office of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), pushing for the establishment of a special committee within the Papua Regional House of Representatives, and requesting a delay in the issuance of land certificates by the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN).
They also urged the Regent of Biak to promptly respond to a summons from the Papuan People’s Assembly (Majelis Rakyat Papua) to seek a joint solution. “If this development continues to be forced, social conflict and environmental damage are only a matter of time,” said a coalition representative. Ibt/Ret
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