The Indigenous Onggari Community Rejects Customary Land Grabbing

The Indigenous community of Onggari Village gathered in front of the Onggari Village Office, Malind District, Merauke Regency, South Papua Province, on May 16, 2025. They assembled to express their opposition to the presence of PT Borneo Citra Persada, a company planning to operate in their village.

The community fears that the company will seize their customary land. A community leader from Onggari Village, Stefanus Gebze, voiced his disagreement with the company's plan to take over the indigenous land. "This land and forest are ours, inherited from our ancestors," he said.

Similarly, a Malind Indigenous woman leader from Onggari Village, Mama Maria Imata Gebze, also rejected the presence of PT Borneo Citra Persada. She stated that the Onggari people cannot live without their customary land and forest.

To this day, the Onggari Indigenous community relies on the forest for their livelihood. They regularly hunt and gather forest products to meet their needs. "We have cared for this land so we can pass it on to our children and grandchildren. If our land and forest are taken, where will we live?" Mama Maria asked.

The head of the Papua Legal Aid Institute in Merauke, Teddy Wakum, urged the South Papua Provincial Government to support the Indigenous Onggari community's stance against PT Borneo Citra Persada. "The government must respect human rights, including the rights of the Onggari Indigenous community," he stated.

Teddy Wakum also called on the South Papua Provincial House of Representatives and the South Papua People's Assembly to listen to the aspirations of the Onggari Indigenous community. According to Teddy, Law Number 21 of 2001 on Special Autonomy for Papua Province guarantees the protection of the rights of Indigenous Peoples. These rights include customary land rights, rights to manage natural resources, and the right to preserve and develop their customs and traditions. "That law must be upheld," he asserted.

Masyarakat Adat Onggari Menolak Perampasan Tanah Adat

Tampak masyarakat adat Kampung Onggari berkumpul di depan Kantor Kampung Onggari, Distrik Malind, Kabupaten Merauke, Provinsi Papua Selatan pada 16 Mei 2025. Mereka berkumpul untuk menyatakan sikap menolak keberadaan perusahaan PT Borneo Citra Persada yang rencananya akan beroperasi di kampung mereka.

Masyarakat khawatir perusahaan akan mengambil tanah adat masyarakat. Toko masyarakat adat kampung Onggari, Stefanus Gebze, menyatakan tidak setuju jika perusahaan mengambil tanah adat di Kampung Onggari. “Tanah dan hutan adat ini adalah milik kami yang diwariskan oleh leluhur,” ujarnya.

Begitu pula toko perempuan adat Malind di Kampung Onggari, Mama Maria Imata Gebze, menyatakan menolak keberadaan PT Borneo Citra Persada. Dia mengatakan bahwa masyarakat Onggari tidak bisa hidup tanpa tanah dan hutan adat mereka. 

Selama ini masyarakat adat Onggari menggantungkan hidup mereka pada hutan. Masyarakat biasa berburu dan mengambil hasil hutan untuk memenuhi kebutuhan mereka. “Kami merawatnya secara baik untuk kami wariskan pada anak dan cucu kami. Jika tanah dan hutan kami diambil, kami tinggal di mana?” kata Mama Maria.

Ketua Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Papua Merauke, Teddy Wakum, meminta pemerintah Provinsi Papua Selatan mendukung sikap masyarakat adat Onggari yang menolak PT Borneo Citra Persada. “Pemerintah wajib menghormati hak asasi manusia, termasuk hak masyarakat adat Onggari,” ujarnya.

Teddy Wakum juga mendesak Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah Provinsi Papua Selatan serta Majelis Rakyat Papua Selatan mendengarkan aspirasi masyarakat adat Onggari. Menurut Teddy, Undang-undang Nomor 21 Tahun 2001 tentang Otonomi Khusus Provinsi Papua telah menjamin perlindungan hak-hak masyarakat hukum adat. Hak-hak ini mencakup hak ulayat, hak pengelolaan sumber daya alam, serta hak untuk mengembangkan dan melestarikan adat istiadat. “Undang-undang itu wajib dipatuhi,” ujarnya.