The story of the Marind people as they face up to PT Mayora

Mayora's latest trick

Testimony of villagers from Yowid village who were forced to sign documents for PT Mayora. They were stigmatised as supporters of the Papuan independence movement by Mayora's military police guards.

Yesterday we sat in the adat house to sort out problems that had come up within the community.

But actually these problems were not from our community.

They came from one or two individuals that support Mayora moving in onto our land.

The problem arose from a leaflet, I don't know where it came from

We thought that we had sorted it out, and it wasn't a real problem

It wasn't a problem that had emerged in Yowid.

Some people said the problem came from Woboyu

But we wanted to investigate how it could have got to Woboyu and then back here?

But there was no answer

So we felt that the problem did not come from Kampung Yowid.

It was invented so that people would be scared and give up their land to Mayora.

We already know that that is how they try to play it.

Originally it was just Mr. Eli Samkakai that signed

They talked about how people can kill using black magic

Well I go along with what the people want

So I said that's enough, later we'll sign all together

But not here, we should sign in the proper place

And so we signed it that night.

I signed the piece of paper that Mayora brought

Before I signed, they were trying to force me, using political arguments, saying we wanted independence.

I felt it would be terrible if the whole community had to run to the forest, and I wanted to try to take steps to prevent that

That's what forced me to sign - so the people would be safe.

Mayora's actions are trying to politicise the situation

That's why i had to sign

I don't know where they came up with these ideas about independence

Incredibly, Mayora is trying to find a way in by making political accusations about the adat house.

The adat house is not a place for storing weapons or anything like that

The adat house is for keeping the sacred things our ancestors left for us

How can they accuse the adat house as being a base for other things? That's what we're currently wondering.

The adat house is only for keeping the sacred things our ancestors left us.

The adat house is not for political purposes

Why are they saying it is being used for politics?

We signed because we were forced to.

Because the people were going to run to the forest. But it didn't happen, because I signed

Because I was forced to with these political threats

Five subsidiaries of PT Mayora (PT Randu Kuning Utama, PT Swarna Hijau Indah, PT Wahana Samudera, PT Kurnia Alam Nusantara and PT Dharma Agro Lestari) are currently conducting outreach in Bibikem, Woboyu, Dodalim, Yowib, Waman and Wanam villages about their plans.