Papuan Family Faces Eviction and Utility Cutoffs in Biak
Indigenous residents in Papua report intimidation and infrastructure damage amid a long-standing land dispute with military authorities.
Key points
- An indigenous family in Biak Numfor reports that their home was fenced off and electricity cut by military personnel in September 2026.
- The dispute stems from competing claims over land, with the family citing customary rights against a 1999 military land certificate.
- Human rights advocates allege a pattern of violence and intimidation against the family since 2014, including the death of one member.
An indigenous Papuan family in Biak Numfor is facing what human rights advocates describe as a systematic campaign of intimidation and forced eviction. The conflict centers on customary land rights in Sorido Village, where residents allege that Indonesian Air Force personnel have recently resumed aggressive land clearance operations.
According to reports from Human Rights Monitor, the family’s home was recently enclosed by metal fencing, and their electricity supply was severed. These actions have left the Marandof clan, who claim ancestral title to the land, in a state of heightened vulnerability amid a dispute that has persisted for over a decade.
Recent Incidents of Intimidation
In early September, tensions escalated when Manase Marandof was reportedly injured during a land clearance operation and briefly detained by police. Days later, approximately 30 Air Force personnel were accused of intimidating his brother, Adam Marandof, after he requested that construction work on the disputed site be suspended. By mid-September, the family’s property had been fully surrounded by fencing, and surrounding residential land had been cleared of vegetation.
The Papua Coalition for Law Enforcement and Human Rights states that these actions threaten the family’s right to adequate housing and personal security. The coalition argues that the military’s presence constitutes a violation of the family’s fundamental rights to protection and stability in their ancestral home.
Longstanding Legal and Physical Conflicts
The root of the conflict lies in competing claims to the land. The Marandof clan asserts customary rights based on ancestral tenure, while the Indonesian Air Force relies on a Right of Use Certificate issued in 1999. The family and their legal representatives contest the legitimacy of this acquisition, alleging that the customary rights holders never lawfully relinquished their title to the property.
The dispute has been marked by recurring violence since 2014. In 2015, a son of the family head was found dead under circumstances that advocates describe as suspicious, while another brother was assaulted by special forces personnel after questioning the removal of boundary markers. These incidents have never been fully resolved, with the coalition calling for renewed investigations into the deaths and the subsequent prosecutions of family members.
Unresolved Institutional Complaints
In January 2026, the Air Force issued a notice requiring the clearance of the disputed land, prompting the family to file a complaint with the Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights. Despite a request for information sent in March 2026, the military has not provided an official response to the Commission, leaving the legal and human rights dimensions of the dispute in limbo.
The situation in Biak Numfor highlights broader tensions between state military expansion and indigenous land rights in Papua. As the family continues to navigate the legal system, the immediate threat to their safety and livelihood remains acute. Observers are watching to see if the Human Rights Commission will take further action or if the military will continue its enforcement measures.
