Human Rights Minister fights for Central Papua's rights over Freeport share divestment

Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai is fighting for respect for the rights of the Central Papuan people over the benefits of natural resources in their region, including through certainty in the management of the divestment of shares in PT Freeport Indonesia.

Pigai said in Jakarta on Monday that the management of natural resources in Papua needs to be carried out fairly so that the benefits can be felt by communities in the producing regions.

He highlighted the plan to distribute a 10 percent divestment stake in PT Freeport Indonesia to six provinces in Papua.

“PT Freeport Indonesia is in the middle of Papua Island, in Central Papua Province, not on the border. So the 10 percent divested Freeport Indonesia shares in Central Papua, at Freeport, should belong to Central Papua Province,” Pigai said.

According to him, the distribution of company benefits to other regions must have a clear legal basis.

He questioned the basis for distributing shares of a company operating in one province to several other provinces.

“How is it possible that shares of a company whose output is owned by a single province should be divided equally among all provinces? Where is the logic? Is there a legal basis, is there a law?” he said.

Pigai said the previous government had given 10 percent of the shares to the people of Central Papua. However, its implementation now faces problems after a policy emerged to divide the shares among six provinces in Papua.

“So the logic is this: the government gave 10 percent of the shares to the people of Central Papua Province during Jokowi’s time. But now those shares cannot be delivered to Central Papua because the Energy and Mineral Resources Minister says they must be shared across all of Papua,” he said.

He stressed that the economic benefits of natural resource management must take into account the rights of communities in the producing regions.

According to Pigai, this principle also applies to natural resource management in other regions.

“As a minister, I am straightening out the correct way of running the state. How is it possible that for a company in South Sumatra, the Energy and Mineral Resources Minister wants the output to be shared across all of Sumatra? The logic does not hold,” he said.

Pigai revealed that he had conveyed his objection directly to President Prabowo.

He stressed that his position is not merely about voicing criticism through the media, but about fighting for certainty of Central Papua’s rights over the benefits of natural resources in its region.

“And I have protested in front of the President. I do not only speak in the media. In front of the President I protested and said the 10 percent stake in PT Freeport Indonesia belongs to Central Papua Province,” he said.

Pigai added that the distribution of the shares to six provinces in Papua should only be carried out if there is a regulation that clearly provides for it.

“And the Energy and Mineral Resources Minister may not share those shares among six provinces in Papua, unless there is a regulation that states so,” Pigai said.

He also asked the government to ensure that every policy regarding the Freeport share divestment has a clear legal basis and takes into account the interests of communities in the producing regions.