Indigenous residents have reported ongoing intimidation and harassment by Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers stationed at PT Mancaraya Argo Mandiri (MAM) and PT Siliwangi Karya Sejahtera (SKS) in the Sayosa Timur District, Sorong Regency, Papua Barat Daya Province. On 27 May 2025, residents erected a traditional blockade (see photos, source; Suara Papua) in protest against what they described as constant surveillance, threats, and coercive restrictions on their right to sell their timber freely. The Brimob unit forcibly dismantled the barrier without consulting the local community. Residents are reportedly pressured to sell all timber exclusively to the two companies and face armed questioning when travelling to their gardens, causing widespread fear and trauma among the community.
According to local accounts, including statements by community leaders, Brimob personnel have carried out arbitrary checks. Some elders were allegedly given state-issued weapons for staged photographs, raising concerns about potential criminalisation or manipulation. Traditional hunting and gathering activities have been severely disrupted due to the heavy presence of armed personnel. The situation escalated when the community re-erected traditional barricades after the initial structure was destroyed. Despite a meeting held on 28 June 2025 between the community, Sorong Regency government, local legislative bodies (DPRD and MRP PBD), and police, residents remain dissatisfied with the unilateral actions of Brimob personnel and the lack of accountability.
The community demands the withdrawal of Brimob from company premises, a review of the operating licences of PT MAM and PT SKS, and legal consequences for officers involved in acts of intimidation. Their demands include the immediate asphalting of local roads to facilitate community mobility and a transparent, inclusive process for resolving conflicts over land and economic rights.
The case reflects broader patterns of militarised resource extraction in West Papua, where state security forces are deployed to serve corporate interests rather than public safety, in clear violation of both Indonesia’s constitutional protections and international human rights law. The intersection of extractive industry interests and militarised state presence in indigenous territories accelerates the marginalisation of indigenous communities in West Papua. The loss of access to their land makes indigenous communities particularly vulnerable to impoverishment.
Road block erected by community in the Sayosa Timur District, Sorong Regency, Papua Barat Daya Province
