by Tigor Gemdita Hutapea & Franky Samperante
Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakya (Bentala Raya Heritage Foundation)
This article also available in Bahasa Indonesia
Artikel ini juga tersedia dalam Bahasa Indonesia
Photo: Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat
Indonesia is the world’s largest exporter of palm oil and Papua is the new frontier. Forests on the Papua Island have become the investment target of the moment, after forests in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi have been already largely converted into industrial oil palm plantations. Various big projects have targeted the forests in Papua. (1)
Petrus Kinggo, an elder and member of the Wambon Tekamerop tribe, from Kali Kao Hamlet, Jair Subdistrict, Boven Digul Regency, Papua Province, is the leader of the Kinggo indigenous group that owns the customary forest in Kali Kao Hamlet. They have lived in these forests for centuries.