MIFEE is slow motion of genocide

Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estates (MIFEE): the new odious baby of combined crisis of food, feed, fuel and climate change1


My personal summary

Monday, 11 April 2011


Introduction to MIFEE

There are three key legal basis for Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estates (MIFEE) in particular Law No. 26/2007 on Spatial Planning, Government Regulation No.26/2008 on National Territory Spatial Planning, and Presidential Instruction No. 54/2008 on Economic Programme Focus Year 2008-2009. In addition to these legal frameworks, the large-scale agrobusiness and plantation developments have to apply and comply with Law No.18/2004 on Plantations and relevant ministry of agricultural regulations in particular regulation No.26/2007 regarding Plantation Business Permit (Izin Usaha Perkebunan) and No.14/2009 on limited use of peatland for oil palm cultivation. In both regulations, they stipulate that plantation investments award two times size of location permits in Kalimantan, Sumatra, and Sulawesi. Moreover, MoA regulatory framework stipulates the plantation business development should allocate at least 20% of the actual permit landholding size dedicated smallholding scheme for local communities.

According to Local Investment Promotion Board (Badan Promosi Investasi Daerah), Merauke District (May 2010) total land areas awarded to principal permits held under both domestic and foreign 36 private companies more than 2 million hectares. Departemen Pertanian claims that there are already 40 investors awarded location permits in Merauke. Currently there are seven domestic and foreign investors have started to operationalise their investments in MIFEE projects in 760,000 hectares in particular Wilmar Group, Sinar Mas, Bangun Cipta, Artha Graha, Murdaya, Rajawali Nusantara Indonesia, and Medco.2 Furthermore, Departemen Pertanian says that MIFEE is one of follow up actions taken into account of the Merauke District Government with regard to Merauke Integrated Rice Estates (MIRE) proposal application to the Department of Agriculture and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs which proposes 1.2 million hectares for the large-scale rice project.3 The ministry of agriculture claims that MIFEE will produce rice 1,95 million ton (MT), corn 2,02 MT, bean 167 thousand ton, cattle-raising 64 thousand cows, sugar 2,5 MT, and crude palm oil (CPO) 937 thousand ton per year.4


Papuan indigenous peoples in Merauke district

Koentjaraningrat (1994) categorises Merauke district into Population Type 2 which means predominant population still live in upstream areas of big and small rivers in the Southern Papua. Their livelihoods are collecting sago, hunting and fishing. Majority of the indigenous population do not know gardening and farming, and they do not live permanently in ordinary village like in Java but they have dwelling spots inside forest areas as homes that they pay visit and live in regularly. Moreover, they visit and move from dwelling sites in good forest areas and pay visits to their owned sacred sites that they believe homes to their ancestors' spirits.


According to ethnic group classification, the Merauke district region nowadays is a lebensraum (space of life) 'big ethnic' of Malind Anim before the formation of new districts in Merauke region exist four other big ethnic groups namely Mappi, Asmat, Muyu and Mandodo with respectively established new districts name before ethnic group Mappi district, Asmat district, Boven Digul district, and Muyu district with clear customary land and forest territory arrangements based on social and political processes amongst ethnic groups of their previous generations in the past.


Majority of Malind Anim indigenous peoples in Merauke still makes living from hunting and gathering. Koentjaraningrat (1990) claims that hunting and gathering have been ways of life supporting known since 110 BC whilst rice farming agriculture only invented culture after 14th century which means there are 125 centuries. Although it does imply that it takes 125 centuries for an evolution of the hunting and gathering mode of production into rice farming and irrigation agriculture activities whilst MIFEE project activities require external inputs and factors such high technology and mechanisation with complicated engineering modes. Thorne Steve (2007) describes the difference amongst hunting and gathering and contemporary agribusiness fall in terms of their hardware (technology in modes of production), software (approach in community engagement), and orgware (organisation of the technology) that only if, with better consideration can avoid vanishing structures, rules and systems of the indigenous peoples in Merauke. Karafir (1984) concludes research findings on the imposed Indonesian government transmigration programme impacts on indigenous peoples in Papua had contributed to significant gaps after 10-year of implementation resulted lack positive interaction with local people, the advanced agriculture was questionable, and agricultural barriers. It is therefore, in case of MIFEE with complicated agribusiness models, will further marginalise indigenous communities from new economic models in their own lands and natural resources. In the transmigration programme case, the indigenous Papuans in Merauke go back to forests where they can harvest sago rather than staying in their new transmigration village with rice farming activities.


Potential and negative impacts of MIFEE

The results of the unification of Papua with Indonesia have brought up new political and social arrangements was obvious with embedded disharmony relations civil and political, social, economic and cultural tensions, conflicts, imbalances, displacements, evictions, and exploitative relationships from the ongoing extractive and massive development activities such as mining, logging, and plantations. On the other hand, in 1959 percentage of migrant population was only 2% and grew up to 4% in 1971, and after 30-year of integration reached 35% in 2000. Some estimate that in 2011 migrant population will reach 53.5% of the Papua population.


Many argue that MIFEE results in significant and negative impacts on social and cultural structures, demographic, economy and environment. Impacts will create accumulative effects that worsen each other in the project footprint areas. In first place, owing to existing local conditions and modernised modes of production with MIFEE presence transforms land uses (local land tenures) and local livelihoods including food security of local people because massive sago landscape to be converted for MIFEE. Secondly, MIFEE will bring changes in local demographic due to influx migrant labourers employed in the MIFEE project activities. Changes in environmental, economic and demographic structures will inevitably exacerbate social and cultural structures in particular values, systems, rules, harsh adaptation and disorientation. In terms of demographic, MIFEE can create radical transformation due to low weak reception level and influx migration of labourers of MIFEE projects that require technocratic employment and mechanisation modes of production. The influx migrant labourers will soon replace local production modes, take over roles and functions, and turn out to become majority over indigenous peoples in Merauke. In terms of environmental impacts, land acquisition and conversion of forest and peatland ecosystems have changed landscapes, hydrology changes, natural vegetations and other habitats. The expansion of MIFEE projects have reduced hunting grounds and animal habitats the main source of protein for indigenous peoples in Merauke. In addition, WWF Region Sahul Papua, the issued projects under MIFEE projects-related companies on the ground activities can potential disturb or otherwise permanently destroy sacred sites of Malind people in Merauke.


MIFEE is 'slow motion of genocide'

The indirect and direct consequence of the MIFEE projects would have transformed not only customary land tenures into modernised land control but also extreme marginalisation of Papuan indigenous peoples due to local Merauke has only 233.059 population would not serve the total required workers were expected to be employed in MIFEE. According to some estimation, to effectively running MIFEE, the project would need four permanent labourers every hectare meaning more than 4.8 million external labour forces will be needed. It is estimated that the expected consequence of labourers outsource from different islands can double migrants when estimated with families and children can even 5.6 million that would have even outnumbered the indigenous population only 52.413 or equal to 30% of the whole population in Merauke.5



Social and cultural disparities

Historical both vertical and horizontal conflicts in Papua can increase as to when injustice and social imbalances due to new modes of development in MIFEE would be unexpected results of disparities and gaps amongst indigenous Papuans of Merauke in transmigration sites just after waves of reformasi – the fall of Suharto era. Between September to October 2010, 'wars between different ethnic groups in Abepura, Jayapura, and Wamena in Jayawijaya district claimed lives and properties lost. When marginalisation and exploitation practices and actions against indigenous peoples, MIFEE projects might further increase and spark conflicts both vertical and horizontal conflicts between marginalised and vulnerable Papuan indigenous peoples in the MIFEE affected areas in Merauke.


MIFEE at first experiences?

From village meetings (by team of PUSAKA) in Zenegi village and Boepe village confirm stories that the land acquisition practices took place in a way that was not transparent and unhealthy situations. The acquisition process was full of manipulation took place without clarity on the impacts and implications from the transfer agreement in both villages was basically handing over the ultimate life of future generations. In Zenegi village, the villagers were paid Rp. 300 million for 'respect money' equal to Rp. 2 million per 105 households. The agreement of land transfer was made 12 December 2009 just before Christmas. Some household families only spent the monies only in a week! Two week later on the money has gone but their hunting grounds and forests been handed over for nothing except the development promises made by the company to develop ten rewards are among other infrastructures, school facilities, and employment opportunities.

1 'MIFEE: Tak Terjangkau Angan Malind. R. Yando Zakaria, Emilianus Ola Kleden, Y.L Franky. PUSAKA 2011

(MIFEE: Beyond Malind Imagination. R. Yando Zakaria, Emilianus Ole Kleden, Y.L Franky. PUSAKA 2011)

2http://www.depkominfo.go.id/berita/bipnewsroom/sukseskan-mifee-pemerintah-ajak-bicara-investor/

3http://ditjenbun.deptan.go.id/budtansim/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3:kawasan-merauke&catid=8:inventaris-berita&Itemid=30&el_mcal_month=12&el_mcal_year=2021

4http://www.deptan.go.id/news/detailarsip.php?id=778

5http://www.komunitas-papua.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=84:mifee-di-merauke-adalah-genosida&catid=37:berita&Itemid=60