On 25 January 2026, 11 members of the Suara Kaum Awam Katolik Regio Papua (Voice of Catholic People of Papua) staged a silent protest in front of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Cathedral, demanding church officials to protect indigenous people from the Merauke food estate project, which already raised concerns from UN Commission of Human Rights in 2025, on the alleged violations of indigenous rights and environmental abuses, allegedly linked to sugar plantation operated by PT Global Papua Abadi.

The silent protest was allegedly cracked down by Merauke local police forces at 09.57 morning Papua time, with physical violence (beaten & choked) and detained at Merauke police headquarters without any proper warrants. The 11 protesters were released at night.

The eleven protesters that being detained and released are:

1. Kosmas D.S. Dambujai
2. Maria Amotey
3. Salerus Kamogou
4. Enjel Gebze
5. Marinus Pasim
6. Siria Yamtop
7. Matius Jebo
8. Ambrosius Nit
9. Hubertus Y. Chambu
10. Abel Kuruwop
11. Fransiskus Nikolaus.

Merauke food estate is a national strategic project initiated by Indonesian government to fulfill its national interests in food security. The project was allegedly displacing indigenous communities without free, prior & informed consent (FPIC), clearing forests with military forces' presence to suppress dissent; and deforestation of more than 269,000 acres of forest area without proper environmental impact assessment.