Company linked to Labuan Bajo resort removed 136 Wae Rana graves

Labuan Bajo — A company managing a luxury resort in Labuan Bajo was reported to have removed 136 graves from the Wae Rana public cemetery between 2025 and 2026, according to Floresa and another local report.

The reports said 105 graves were excavated in 2025 and 31 in 2026. The remains were transferred to Gorontalo public cemetery, about seven kilometres from Wae Rana, in Labuan Bajo, Komodo district, West Manggarai regency.

The cemetery land was identified in the reports as being controlled by PT Fortuna Paradiso Optima, or FPO, which operates a luxury resort in Labuan Bajo. Floresa reported that the company claimed to hold a building-use right, or HGB, over 16 hectares of land containing the cemetery. The report said the HGB was issued in 2024.

Some heirs said they had not agreed to the excavation and relocation of family graves. Floresa reported that Abdul Haji, a gravedigger paid for the work, provided the figures for the 136 graves. Another local report said that 26 graves excavated in 2026 had approval from Arwin, while five others were dug by family members.

Why it matters to Labuan Bajo readers

The case concerns the handling of a public cemetery as resort-related land control expands in Labuan Bajo. The reports said Wae Rana was designated as a public cemetery in 1970, while the government has prohibited new burials there since 1990. That prohibition directed new burials to a cemetery behind Pasar Baru in Gorontalo, but Floresa reported that residents said it did not require the relocation of all older graves.

Another local report said that a previous complaint was stopped after an agreement among heirs, while some heirs continued to object. It also reported that Darwis and Farida filed a complaint with the Manggarai Barat Resort Police on 26 October 2026 over the alleged unilateral excavation and relocation of family graves.

The reports did not state a further official decision or a timetable for additional action.

Sources

• Floresa — investigative report
• evendo.com
• wanderlog.com