Air Force (TNI AU) personnel have allegedly subjected an indigenous Papuan family to repeated intimidation, forced eviction measures and interference with their customary land rights in the Sorido Village, Biak Kota District, Biak Numfor Regency, Papua Province. On 1 September 2026, Mr Manase Marandof sustained injuries during a land clearance operation near his home and was briefly detained by police. On 10 September 2026, at approximately 08:00–08:30 am, around 30 Indonesian Air Force personnel reportedly intimidated his brother, Mr Adam Marandof, after he requested that construction work on the disputed land be suspended. The indigenous Byak community of Papua Province is facing an unprecedented crisis. State agencies, particularly the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), have launched a systematic land-grabbing campaign across the regencies of Biak Numfor, Supiori, and Waropen.
By 14 September 2026, Manase Marandof’s house had reportedly been completely enclosed by fencing, its electricity supply had been cut off and part of the surrounding residential land had been cleared. The incidents form part of a longstanding dispute between the Marandof clan and the Indonesian Air Force over customary land rights and the development of military facilities in Biak. According to the Papua Coalition for Law Enforcement and Human Rights, the military’s actions have threatened the family’s rights to adequate housing, personal security and protection of their ancestral land.
The dispute between the Marandof clan and the TNI AU has reportedly continued for more than a decade. The family claims customary rights over the Sorido. The Indonesian Air Force, meanwhile, claims rights over the land on the basis of Right of Use Certificate No. 40 of 1999. The family and its legal representatives contest the legitimacy of the acquisition process, alleging that the customary rights holders never lawfully relinquished their land. According to the coalition, the dispute has been accompanied by repeated evictions, threats and acts of violence against family members since 2014.
In May 2015, Mr Manase Marandof’s son, Mr Pernetus Marandof, reportedly disappeared and was subsequently found dead near the family home. The coalition alleges that the condition of his body suggested mutilation and that his death has never been adequately investigated. In June 2015, his younger brother, Mr Amsal Marandof, was allegedly assaulted by members of the Indonesian Air Force’s Special Forces Corps (PASKHAS) after questioning the removal of boundary markers from the family’s land. According to a field report by the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Office of the GKI Synod of Papua, dated 23 November 2015, military personnel dragged Amsal along the tarmac and repeatedly beat him in the presence of police officers. His sister, Mrs Ida Marandof, reportedly lost consciousness after being assaulted while attempting to protect him. Amsal was subsequently prosecuted for possession of a bladed weapon under Emergency Law No. 12 of 1951 and sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment. The coalition has called for renewed investigations into these incidents and the circumstances surrounding the prosecution.
The land dispute escalated again in October 2025, when evictions reportedly occurred in Snerbo Village. On 23 January 2026, the Indonesian Air Force issued a further notice requiring the clearance of the disputed land. The Marandof family and its legal representatives challenged the notice and pursued a complaint concerning alleged human rights violations with the Papua Regional Office of the Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM). According to the coalition, the Indonesian Air Force had not provided an official response to the Commission’s request for information dated 13 March 2026.
On 1 September 2026, Indonesian Air Force personnel reportedly resumed land clearance activities using heavy machinery, removing land and vegetation to within approximately two metres of Manase Marandof’s home. According to the coalition, Manase sustained injuries while attempting to protect his property and was briefly taken into police custody. The coalition further alleges that Air Force personnel subsequently approached him and proposed relocation outside a formal process for resolving the disputed customary land rights.
On 10 September 2026, approximately 30 personnel from Manuhua Air Base returned to the disputed site to guard heavy machinery and continue constructing a fence associated with the entrance to the Indonesian Air Force’s Special Forces Corps (Kopasgat) headquarters (see photos above, source: independent HRD). Between approximately 08:00 and 08:30 am, Mr Adam Marandof approached the personnel and requested a temporary suspension of construction pending dialogue between the family, the customary rights holders and the relevant authorities. Thereupon, armed personnel reportedly surrounded Mr Marandof and filmed him while he expressed his objections.
In a press release dated 13 September 2026, the coalition reported that the construction of fencing had completely enclosed Mr Manase Marandof’s house. The electricity cables supplying the building had also reportedly been cut, leaving him and his family without electricity. Additional clearance of the surrounding land had further reduced the space available to the family.
Human rights and legal analysis
The reported incidents raise serious concerns regarding the protection of indigenous peoples’ collective land rights under Indonesian and international human rights law. Article 18B(2) of the Indonesian Constitution recognises customary law communities and their traditional rights, subject to the conditions established by law. Article 43 of Law No. 21 of 2001 on Special Autonomy for Papua, as amended, provides for the protection of customary land rights and requires consultation with the affected customary law community to reach agreement on the relinquishment of land and compensation.
Furthermore, Articles 10, 26 and 32 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) establish international standards concerning protection against forced removal, recognition of indigenous land rights and consultation to obtain free, prior and informed consent. The Indonesian Air Force’s reliance on Right of Use Certificate No. 40 of 1999 does not resolve the allegations concerning the acquisition of the land. An independent review should establish whether the certificate was lawfully issued, whether the customary rights holders were appropriately consulted, and whether the acquisition process complied with the applicable legal requirements. The authorities must also establish the identity of all legitimate customary rights holders before any agreement concerning the land can be considered valid.
The reported fencing of Manase Marandof’s house, disconnection of electricity and clearance of the surrounding residential land raise concerns under Article 11(1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which guarantees the right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate housing. The right to adequate housing encompasses security of tenure, access to essential services and protection against forced eviction and harassment. The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has emphasised that forced evictions are prima facie incompatible with the Covenant and may be justified only in exceptional circumstances. These safeguards include genuine consultation, adequate notice, access to legal remedies and protection against homelessness.
The deployment of armed military personnel during a civilian land dispute, the reported confrontation with Mr Adam Marandof and temporary detention of Mr Manase Marandof raise additional concerns regarding the family’s personal security and protection against arbitrary interference with their home. Article 28G(1) of the Indonesian Constitution guarantees protection of the person, family, dignity and security, while Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) prohibits arbitrary or unlawful interference with the home, privacy and family life. The reported death of Mr Pernetus Marandof in May 2015 and the subsequent allegations of physical violence against Mr Amsal Marandof and Mrs Ida Marandof require independent and effective investigation. Where a death may have resulted from unlawful violence, the authorities must establish its circumstances, identify those responsible and ensure appropriate accountability. The allegations concerning the assault of Amsal and Ida should likewise be investigated, including the conduct of any military or police personnel involved and whether officials failed to intervene to prevent further violence. The conviction of Amsal Marandof does not extinguish the state’s obligation to investigate the alleged violence against him
Dispute between military personnel and members of the Marandof clan in Sorido, Biak, on 1 September 2026
Detailed Case Data
Document ID: HRM-CAS-124-2026
Location: Sorido, Biak Kota, Biak Numfor Regency, Papua, Indonesia (-1.1616001, 136.06109)
Region: Indonesia > Papua > Biak Numfor > Biak Kota
Total number of victims: dozens
#
Number of Victims
Name, Details
Gender
Age
Group Affiliation
Violations
1.
1
Manase Marandof
male
unknown
Indigenous Peoples
arbitrary detention, ill-treatment
2.
1
Adam MArandof
male
unknown
Indigenous Peoples
intimidation
3.
dozens
mixed
unknown
Indigenous Peoples
intimidation
Perpetrator: Republic Indonesia > Indonesian Security Forces > Indonesian Military (TNI) > Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU)
Issues: indigenous peoples, security force violence
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