Indigenous People of Ndumande Village Reject PSN
The Indigenous People of Ndumande Village, Merauke, South Papua, have rejected the presence of the sugarcane company PT Borneo Citra Persada in Merauke. As part of their protest, members of the indigenous community installed wooden boards bearing messages of rejection against the company on September 23, 2025.
The protest was carried out by the Indigenous People of Ndumande Village together with members of the Gebze, Ndiken, Kaize, Samkakai, Mahuze, Blagaize, and Basik-Basik clans. Ndumande Village is included in the land development program for sugarcane cultivation, which is part of the National Strategic Project (PSN) for the Food Estate in Merauke.
The community put up three boards at different locations with messages rejecting PT Borneo Citra Persada. On the white boards, the message read: “We, the Indigenous People of Ndumande Village, firmly reject the National Strategic Project (PSN) in Merauke and reject PT Borneo Citra Persada.”
Hubertus Kaize, the coordinator of the protest, said that they oppose the project because the presence of the sugarcane company threatens the livelihood of the Malind Anim Indigenous People. He called on the government and PT Borneo Citra Persada to respect indigenous rights. “If our forests and lands are taken away, we will struggle to survive,” he said.
He explained that the forest is the source of life for the Malind Indigenous People, who depend entirely on it for their daily sustenance. Any destruction of the forest would have a direct impact on their lives.
For generations, the Indigenous People have lived in harmony with the forest and have helped preserve it. Papua’s forests are home to rare animals such as the Bird of Paradise, cassowaries, and tree kangaroos. The forests also contain a variety of medicinal plants essential to indigenous communities. “This land and forest were given by God to our ancestors. We will protect them and will not allow them to be destroyed,” he said.
Masyarakat Adat Kampung Ndumande Menolak PSN
Masyarakat Adat Kampung Ndumande, Merauke, Papua Selatan menolak keberadaan perusahaan tebu PT Borneo Citra Persada di Merauke. Salah satu bentuk penolakan tersebut dilakukan masyarakat adat dengan memasang papan kayu bertuliskan penolakan terhadap perusahaan tersebut pada 23 September 2025 lalu.
Penolakan dilakukan oleh masyarakat adat Kampung Ndumande bersama Marga Gebze, Marga Ndiken, Marga Kaize, Marga Samkakai, Marga Mahuze, Marga Blagaize dan Marga Basik-Basik. Kampung Ndumande masuk dalam program pembukaan lahan tebu yang merupakan bagian dari Proyek Strategis Nasional (PSN) Food Estate di Merauke.
Masyarakat memasang papan bertuliskan penolakan terhadap PT Borneo Citra Persada di tiga titik lokasi. Pada papan berwarna putih itu terdapat tulisan “Kami Masyarakat Adat Kampung Ndumande dengan tegas menolak Proyek Strategis Nasional (PSN) Merauke, Tolak PT Borneo Citra Persada”.
Hubertus Kaize selaku koordinator aksi tersebut mengatakan bahwa mereka menolak proyek tersebut karena keberadaan perusahaan tebu itu bisa mengancam kehidupan masyarakat adat Malind Anim. Dia meminta pemerintah dan PT Borneo Citra Persada menghormati hak masyarakat adat. “Jika hutan dan tanah kami dirampas, kami akan kesulitan untuk mencari nafkah,” ujarnya.
Dia mengatakan, hutan merupakan tempat hidup masyarakat adat Malind. Masyarakat adat menggantungkan kehidupan mereka dari hutan dan tidak bisa dilepaskan dari hutan. Kerusakan hutan akan berdampak langsung pada kehidupan masyarakat adat.
Selama ini masyarakat adat telah hidup selaras dengan hutan sekaligus ikut melestarikan hutan. Di hutan Papua juga terdapat berbagai binatang langka seperti burung Cenderawasih, burung Kasuari, hingga Kangguru, Di sana juga terdapat berbagai tanaman obat yang dibutuhkan masyarakat adat. “Tanah dan hutan ini pemberian Tuhan kepada leluhur kami. Kami akan menjaganya dan tidak akan membiarkan dirusak,” ujarnya.
