Conflict Between Dayak Kualan and PT Mayawana Persada
Indonesian lawmakers have called for a government fact-finding investigation into alleged human rights abuses linked to a long-running land conflict between the Dayak Kualan Indigenous community and timber company PT Mayawana Persada. The call came at a parliamentary hearing on June 30, 2026, where lawmakers said testimony strengthened indications of alleged structural and systematic human rights violations in the conflict.
The Dayak Kualan community alleges the company’s concession overlaps with its customary lands and forests, and that Mayawana proceeded to clear the area without obtaining free, prior, and informed consent. According to Tarsisius Fendy Sesupi, customary chief of Lelayang hamlet, “The company never sought the community’s agreement. It simply moved in and cleared everything.”
Allegations of Land Clearing Without Consent
The community says some of the cleared areas included sacred sites, such as Bukit Sabar Bubu, a 1,200-hectare (3,000-acre) hill traditionally used for customary ceremonies, and the Kek Juing ancestral cemetery. According to Sutalion Combeng, customary chief of Sabar Bubu hamlet, forest clearing at Bukit Sabar Bubu began in June 2020 and continued through May 2023. “That was when the company took the opportunity to enter the area and clear the forest,” he said. In another incident, Mayawana bulldozed the Kek Juing cemetery in 2020. The community imposed customary sanctions totaling over 100 million rupiah (about $5,500), which the company has not fulfilled.
In cases where community members agreed to relinquish land, they received only 1.5 million rupiah (about $83) per hectare, regardless of crops, according to Ahmad Syukri, executive director of local NGO LinkAR Borneo. Mayawana did not respond to requests for comment.
Environmental Destruction: Deforestation and Peatland Loss
The conflict coincides with one of Indonesia’s largest recent deforestation episodes. Between 2016 and 2024, Mayawana cleared 42,512 hectares (105,049 acres) of forest within its 136,710-hectare concession, according to analysis by NGO Satya Bumi using satellite data. More than half of that loss occurred in 2023 and 2024 alone, with nearly 20,000 hectares cleared. The clearing includes approximately 27,500 hectares of peatland, of which about 11,000 hectares were classified as protected peat ecosystem. Satya Bumi also documented drainage canals to dry peat for plantation.
The environmental damage extends to orangutan habitat: 34,657 hectares of habitat were cleared, and field surveys found 31 orangutan nests in the concession, indicating the area still supports the great ape. Uli Arta Siagian of Walhi said the damage warrants a comprehensive review of Mayawana’s operating permit. “There is no reason not to evaluate Mayawana. There are already several indicators that warrant such a review, including deforestation, degraded peatlands, river pollution, biodiversity loss and other environmental impacts,” she said.
Criminalization of Indigenous Leaders
Community members have faced criminal charges they describe as retaliation. Daniel Ariyanto, son of a customary leader, was arrested in December 2021 for uprooting acacia trees on his family’s land and sentenced to six months in prison. Tarsisius Fendy Sesupi was charged with extortion after receiving a 16 million rupiah transfer (about $1,000) from Mayawana as part of a customary settlement for ceremonial items. The community and lawyers argue the payment was part of an agreed customary sanction, not extortion. Police arrested Tarsisius in 2025, briefly placed him on a wanted list, and later issued multiple summonses. He has received at least 28 police summonses as of the hearing.
Parliamentary Hearing and Government Response
At the June 30 hearing, the parliamentary commission overseeing human rights issues agreed that evidence strengthened indications of structural and systematic human rights violations. The commission called on the Ministry of Human Rights to lead a joint fact-finding team involving Komnas HAM, the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK), relevant ministries, law enforcement, and regional governments. Lawmaker Franciskus Sibarani (Golkar Party) said, “If necessary, revoke the company’s business permit.” Rieke Diah Pitaloka (PDI-P) urged the case be made a national priority. The commission also urged law enforcement to halt all criminal proceedings against Dayak Kualan community members, including Tarsisius.
Responding, Munafrizal Manan, director-general for human rights services at the Ministry of Human Rights, said the ministry had not previously received a formal complaint. He pledged a comprehensive review, field monitoring, inter-agency coordination, and recommendations based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. NGOs welcomed the outcome, with Ahmad Syukri stating, “Commission XIII’s plan to establish a joint fact-finding team could pave the way for resolving the conflict.”
Ongoing Impacts and Industry Ties
Despite a March 28, 2024, order from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to stop logging and focus on peatland restoration, Mayawana reportedly continued planting acacia on cleared peatlands. Recently, pulp and paper giant APRIL announced it would start sourcing pulpwood from Mayawana in July 2026 due to a supply shortage, despite allegations of environmental damage and human rights violations. APRIL said it would only source from areas cleared before its deforestation cutoff of December 2020. The community’s advocacy since 2022 has not yet resulted in recognition of their rights or remedies.