Residents of South Golewa in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) held a 1,000-candle vigil against the planned geothermal water extraction project by State electricity company PT PLN, signaling their rejection of any attempt to exploit the sacred Tiwu Bala spring.

They protested PLN’s plan to divert water from Tiwu Bala to fuel a geothermal energy project, accusing the company of ecological violence and spiritual desecration. The residents asserted that Tiwu Bala is not just a water source, but the lifeblood of their ancestral land and a pillar of their identity, dignity, and survival.

“Tiwu Bala is not owned by the state, investors, or corporations. It belongs to the land, to the ancestors, and to life itself. Touching it without permission is a form of modern-day colonialism disguised as development,” said the local community in a declaration.

The day of protest began with a Eucharistic Mass led by Father Felix Baghi, Coordinator of the Geothermal Victims Solidarity Alliance, along with priests from the Archdiocese of Ende. It was followed by the traditional ritual Leba Manu, a spiritual and cultural curse ceremony, symbolically denouncing the exploitation of nature and invoking ancestral wrath upon violators.

This ritual signified the community’s warning to PLN and any party attempting to extract water from Tiwu Bala without consent. According to local belief, violators face the consequences of ancestral and divine retribution − including ecological disasters and tragic death.

Tiwu Bala serves more than just spiritual and cultural functions. It is the principal irrigation source for over 400 hectares of rice fields and a lifeline for daily household and livestock needs. South Golewa is a rice production hub for Ngada Regency, often referred to as the "valley of milk and honey" in the southern region.

“Tiwu Bala is a God-given reminder. We are called to protect creation, not exploit it,” Felix Baghi said as quoted in a statement on Monday, July 28, 2025.

The protestors referenced the failed Mataloko geothermal plant as a cautionary example. Initiated without community involvement, the project led to ecological degradation, social conflict, and widespread trauma. The community fears that the current plan will repeat the same mistakes.

The community raised four demands:

1. An immediate and permanent ban on PLN and any corporate entity from extracting water from Tiwu Bala for geothermal projects.

2. A demand to Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, to halt all geothermal operations and development plans at Geothermal Power Plant (PLTP) Mataloko.

3. A call for the revocation of Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Decree No. 2268 K/30/MEM/2017, which designates Flores Island as a “Geothermal Island.”

4. Urgent and sincere ecological restoration of damage caused by the previous Mataloko project.

“Each of our cries goes unheard − but we will continue to speak. Those who violate our customs today will bear the consequences alone,” Mikel Keo, a community leader from Sadha, said.