PAPUA IS NOT EMPTY LAND:A CALL FOR JUSTICE, INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' RIGHTS, AND THE FUTURE OF PAPUA
Sorong, Southwest Papua 2 June 2026 Tetesan Air Mata Ibunda Kota Tua Sorong -Melangkah Tanpa Alas Kaki- Today, Indigenous youth and local communities in Malamoi once again raise their aspirations. This is not an act of rejecting development. This is a call for justice. This is a call for respect. This is a call for the recognition of Indigenous Peoples' rights, environmental protection, and democratic participation in every decision that directly affects our lives, our forests, and our future. For generations, Indigenous communities throughout Papua have lived side by side with nature. Long before modern development programs arrived, our ancestors fulfilled their needs through local food systems that were deeply connected to the land. Sago, sweet potatoes, cassava, taro, bananas, forest products, rivers, and traditional ecological knowledge have sustained Indigenous communities for centuries. Therefore, many Indigenous communities continue to ask one simple but importan...
