Human Rights Minister Criticizes ESDM Minister Over Freeport Share Divestment, Cites Papua's Rights

Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai is challenging the government's plan to divide 10% of PT Freeport Indonesia's divestment shares among six Papuan provinces. Pigai asserts that these shares, originating from a company located within the Central Papua province, rightfully belong to that specific province.

During a press conference in Jakarta, Pigai questioned the legal basis for distributing shares from a company operating in one province to several others. He pointed out that the government had previously allocated 10% of the shares to the people of Central Papua during President Jokowi's term. However, a new policy from the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources now mandates dividing these shares across all of Papua, creating a dispute.

Pigai stressed the importance of ensuring that the economic benefits derived from natural resource management are distributed fairly, prioritizing the rights of communities in the producing regions. He drew a parallel to resource management in other areas, questioning the logic of distributing profits from a company in South Sumatra to all provinces in Sumatra.

He revealed that he had directly voiced his objections to President Prabowo Subianto, clarifying that his stance is not merely a media critique but a fight for Central Papua's guaranteed rights to the benefits of its natural resources. Pigai insisted that the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources cannot distribute these shares to six provinces unless a clear regulation supports such a move.