Raja Ampat Remains At Risk from Nickel Mining

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tracking down Raja Ampat Nikel Abadi (RANA) is like looking for a needle in a haystack. The company’s deed lists its address as Jalan Pendidikan, Lorong V, Tanjung Pamali, Sorong, Southwest Papua. But when Tempo visited the alley on August 31, 2026, there was no building displaying the company’s name. None of the residents in the area had ever heard of it, either.

The only clue connected to RANA appeared in another form. A sign stood in the yard of an empty house behind an iron fence, about 200 meters from the end of the alley. It read, “Yayasan Rumah Aspirasi Papua Bangkit” (Papua Arise Aspiration Home Foundation).

Information about the organization was not hard to find. Several senior local government and police officials attended the foundation’s inauguration in October last year. Its founder is a prominent figure: Paul Finsen Mayor, a member of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) representing the Southwest Papua electoral district.

“Paul’s house is over there,” a neighbor said, pointing to a three-story building undergoing renovations across from the foundation’s office. “He may still be in Jakarta,” the neighbor added.