Dayak Kualan Indigenous Leader Seeks Justice Amid Corporate Conflict

Tarsisius Fendy Sesupi, the Indigenous Chief of Dusun Lelayang, Ketapang, West Kalimantan, continues his pursuit of justice. Recently, alongside a coalition of civil society, he reported his criminalization during a Public Hearing (RDPU) with the House of Representatives (DPR). Three years ago, he imposed customary sanctions, including a fine, on PT Mayawana Persada for triggering conflict, displacing land and crops, and causing economic losses to residents. However, in 2026, these customary sanctions resulted in him being named a suspect for alleged criminal extortion, after a company employee reported him to the Ketapang Police. Fendy and the civil society coalition consider this report a legal strategy to halt public participation (SLAPP), aiming to prevent the Dayak Kualan Indigenous community from disrupting Mayawana's activities. "There is a meeting report that was agreed upon by the community and the company. If there was no meeting report, there would not be customary sanctions and the Rp16 million that was sent. This is purely to intimidate the community and criminalize me," he told Mongabay in Jakarta. Since early 2026, Fendy and the civil society coalition have visited several state institutions to resolve this issue. Commission II of the West Kalimantan Provincial Parliament had mediated and recommended that the company respect the sovereignty of the indigenous community. Another recommendation was to form a Task Force (Satgas) for Conflict Resolution, comprising representatives from the provincial government, district government, coalition members, and community representatives. However, to date, there has been no follow-up, and the task force has not been formed. In April 2026, during a mediation session, the Regent of Ketapang, Alexander Wilyo, encouraged peace between the indigenous community and Mayawana through the mechanism of restorative justice (RJ). However, Fendy objected to this offer because the mechanism requires him to apologize. "RJ means two things. First, the weakening of our customary laws and culture. Second, ..." This article was originally published on Mongabay