Merauke Community Rejects Rice Field Printing Program
The Indigenous Marind Tribe of Merauke, South Papua, has once again reaffirmed their rejection of various National Strategic Projects (PSN) that are deemed detrimental and harmful to the interests of the people. In a press conference held during the Merauke Solidarity Consolidation on Friday, March 14, 2025, at the Vertenten MSC Center on Cigombong Street, Merauke Regency, they demanded an immediate halt to projects carried out in the name of national interest. They argue that these projects have brought adverse effects on indigenous communities and the surrounding environment.
Traditional leaders and representatives of the Marind Tribe emphasized that the paddy field expansion and sugarcane plantation projects, initiated during Joko Widodo's administration and continued by President Prabowo Subianto, have caused environmental destruction and disrupted the indigenous people's living space.
"These projects sacrifice the people, especially us as indigenous communities who have long lived traditionally and in harmony with nature. We demand that all destructive projects be stopped and that all negative impacts be immediately addressed," said one of the Marind tribal leaders.
The Merauke Solidarity Consolidation stated that the Marind people, one of the native tribes of South Papua Province, continue to fight for their rights to live peacefully and to protect their ancestral lands from the threats posed by projects that are seen as damaging to their social, cultural, and environmental well-being. They are determined to keep voicing their rejection and resistance against policies that disadvantage the people, particularly indigenous communities, who are increasingly marginalized by these large-scale projects.
Rusak Lingkungan, Program Cetak Sawah Ditolak Masyarakat Merauke
Masyarakat Adat Suku Marind dari Merauke, Papua Selatan, kembali menegaskan penolakan mereka terhadap berbagai Proyek Strategis Nasional (PSN) yang dinilai merugikan dan mengorbankan kepentingan rakyat. Dalam konferensi pers yang digelar di sela Konsolidasi Solidaritas Merauke pada Jumat, 14 Maret 2025, di Vertenten MSC Center Jl. Cigombong, Kabupaten Merauke, mereka menuntut penghentian proyek-proyek yang dilakukan atas nama kepentingan nasional. Mereka berpendapat proyek-proyek itu justru membawa dampak buruk bagi kehidupan masyarakat adat dan lingkungan sekitar.
Para tokoh adat dan perwakilan masyarakat Suku Marind menegaskan bahwa proyek cetak sawah dan kebun tebu yang digagas sejak pemerintahan Joko Widodo dan dilanjutkan Presiden Prabowo Subianto telah menyebabkan kerusakan lingkungan serta merusak ruang hidup masyarakat adat.
"Proyek-proyek ini mengorbankan rakyat, terutama kami sebagai masyarakat adat yang selama ini hidup dengan cara tradisional dan harmonis dengan alam. Kami menuntut agar semua proyek yang merusak ini dihentikan dan segala dampak buruk yang timbul segera diperbaiki," kata salah seorang tokoh Suku Marind.
Konsolidasi Solidaritas Merauke menyatakan, masyarakat Suku Marind, yang merupakan salah satu suku asli di Provinsi Papua Selatan, terus memperjuangkan hak-hak mereka untuk hidup dengan damai dan mempertahankan tanah leluhur mereka dari ancaman proyek-proyek yang dianggap merusak kehidupan sosial, budaya, dan lingkungan mereka. Mereka bertekad untuk terus menyuarakan penolakan dan perlawanan terhadap kebijakan yang merugikan rakyat, khususnya masyarakat adat, yang menjadi terpinggirkan dalam proyek-proyek besar tersebut.
