 |
| Accelerating Customary Land Certification in Papua A Real Step to Protect Skouw Yambe’s Ancestral Rights. |
Jayapura – Efforts to speed up the certification of customary land in Papua are showing real progress. This was evident when the Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency (ATR/BPN), Nusron Wahid, personally attended the boundary marker installation in Skouw Yambe, Muara Tami District, on Wednesday (November 19, 2025). The activity is part of the GEMAPATAS (Community Movement for Boundary Marking) program, an important step before customary land can be officially registered and certified.
During the visit, Minister Nusron emphasized how crucial it is to determine clear physical boundaries to protect indigenous land rights.
He reminded the community that without proper documentation, customary land is vulnerable to occupation by outsiders.
“If it’s not recorded, someday someone else might take over this land. That’s why the boundaries must be clear so the state can protect it,” he said before joining the community to observe the installation of the boundary stakes.
This boundary marking serves as the first stage before the administrative process begins. Once physical boundaries are set, ATR/BPN, together with local traditional leaders and the regional government, will identify which customary group is legally entitled to the land. This step helps prevent overlapping claims and potential disputes in the future.
Minister Nusron also highlighted that registering customary land ensures strong legal protection for indigenous communities.
“With this registration, your land rights become legally recognized. No one can enter or use this land without permission from the customary owners,” he stated before the residents of Skouw.
In Jayapura City, ATR/BPN has designated three priority areas for customary land registration: Skouw Yambe, Skouw Mabo, and Skouw Sai. The total area expected to be certified is around 150 hectares, all of which are currently classified as unregistered land. The government hopes this initiative will encourage other indigenous communities in Papua to secure their ancestral land through official registration.
During the same visit, Minister Nusron also handed over six State Property (BMN) certificates and four land ownership certificates to Papuan residents. Additionally, he presented copies of the customary land registry for Papua to ensure transparency and strengthen land data management.
The certificate handover was carried out alongside Member of the DPD RI Committee I, Carel Simon Petrus Suebu, and the Head of the Papua ATR/BPN Regional Office, Roy Eduard Fabian Wayoi.
With these concrete steps, the government hopes that more indigenous communities will understand the importance of documenting and certifying their customary land, ensuring their rights are protected and helping prevent future land conflicts.