{"id":67670,"date":"2025-08-12T11:55:55","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T04:55:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/southeastasia\/?p=67670"},"modified":"2026-04-08T13:45:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T06:45:25","slug":"paradise-silenced-west-papua-photo-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/southeastasia\/press\/67670\/paradise-silenced-west-papua-photo-book\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Paradise Silenced\u2019 Photo Book: Greenpeace\u2019s Two Decades Documenting Stories and Struggles in West Papua"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Jakarta, 12 August 2025 \u2013<\/strong> Greenpeace Indonesia has launched a photo book Paradise Silenced<\/a> <\/em>at KALA in Kalijaga, South Jakarta. Following International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, the launch provided a joyful space for Indigenous Papuan representatives and the wider public to discuss the past, present, and future of West Papua (or \u2018Tanah Papua\u2019 as it is also known).<\/p>\n\n

The discussion featured key speakers including Maria Amote, a young Indigenous woman from the Wambon People; Enrico Kondologit, anthropologist from the University of Papua; Frengki Albert Saa from the government of Southwest Papua Province; and Widhi Handoyo from the Ministry of Environment.<\/p>\n\n

Maria Amote shared her deep concerns as a young Indigenous Papuan. With the threat of environmental destruction escalating, she fears the erosion and eventual disappearance of Papuan Indigenous identities. \u201cMy parents did not pass down financial wealth to me; they passed down the forest,\u201d Maria said. \u201cIf our customary forests are gone, I can no longer be considered an Indigenous woman. And what then will become of my children and grandchildren?\u201d<\/p>\n\n

During two decades of work in Tanah Papua, Greenpeace has encountered a multitude of stories. Beyond the beauty of its intact natural environment, Greenpeace’s work has borne witness to the incredible resilience of Papua\u2019s Indigenous Peoples. However, the looming threat of destruction, primarily from extractive industries, continues to cast a dark shadow over the land.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cWe have watched as Papua’s dearly guarded, intact forests are inexorably threatened by the emergence of a deeply alarming pattern of deforestation,\u201d said Kiki Taufik, Head of Greenpeace Indonesia’s Global Forest Campaign. \u201cConversely, we have also documented the ways of life of Indigenous Papuans which act to safeguard this natural heritage. Everything in Tanah Papua, this \u2018little paradise fallen to Earth,\u2019 could be lost if not fiercely protected. Safeguarding Tanah Papua is a collective responsibility for us all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

This call for collective action to secure the future of Tanah Papua was echoed by Frengky Albert Saa, Coordinator for Research and Innovation at the Regional Development Planning, Research and Innovation Agency of Southwest Papua Province. \u201cWe will join hands with our development partners and civil society organizations like Greenpeace. We must not be averse to collaboration,\u201d Frengky said.<\/p>\n\n

Representing the Ministry of Environment, Director of Environmental Impact Prevention for Regional and Sectoral Policies Widhi Handoyo emphasized the importance of collaborative solutions that protect the environment while fostering the unique strengths of Tanah Papua. He cited the Raja Ampat region, where over 70 percent of the area is designated for environmental protection. \u201cImagine, given a single region has such a vast protected function, this means that development priorities must be based on the reality on the ground, focusing, for example, on the fisheries and tourism sectors in which lies its primary economic potential,\u201d said Widhi.<\/p>\n\n

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The photo book Paradise Silenced: A Visual Journey Capturing the Resilience of West Papuans<\/em> is divided into four sections, capturing the multifaceted lives of Indigenous Peoples in Tanah Papua. It journeys from the rich culture and daily lives of Indigenous communities, to visuals of the region\u2019s unique biodiversity, the imminent threats of environmental damage, and documentation of best practices in building solutions for Papua’s future. A selection of photographs was exhibited at the launch event.<\/p>\n\n

As an anthropologist, Enrico Kondologit affirmed the book’s importance not only for those outside Papua but for Papuans themselves. \u201cVisual anthropology, as this photo book aims to undertake, is one way to provide information to the Papuan people, enabling us to take concrete steps for the future of Papua,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n

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The launch was further enlivened by musical performances from Papuan group Sunrise West Papua (above) and the band Navicula, who performed their new song “Papua,” a tribute to the land and people of Papua (below).<\/p>\n\n

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The launch of Paradise Silenced<\/em> is intended to open new spaces for dialogue about the future of Papua. Sharing her aspirations for Tanah Papua\u2019s future, Maria made a heartfelt plea: \u201cPerhaps the Minister of Environment can see what the rights and hopes of Indigenous Peoples truly are. For us, the forest is our mother. Our identity is born from the land where we grow. We ask the government to see us and to help us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

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Above: Greenpeace Global Head of Indonesia Forest Campaign, Kiki Taufik (left), and Indonesian House of Representatives member, Rieke Diah Pitaloka tour the \u201cParadise Silenced\u201d photo exhibition at Kala di Kalijaga, Jakarta, Indonesia. All photos \u00a9 Dhemas Reviyanto \/ Greenpeace<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Notes to Editors:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n