On November 17, the Indonesian government is seeking to build a space launch site on its islands near the equator in order to attract SpaceX's business. However, the residents of the indigenous tribes on the island are worried that their people will have to leave their homes, which is strongly opposed < p > < / P > < p > for 15 generations, members of the abrau family have continued the lives of their ancestors on byak Island, Indonesia. They ploughed small open areas in the rainforest, collected medicinal plants, and set traps to catch snakes and wild boars < p > the land on Biak island is the identity symbol and source of livelihood of the abrau family, as well as their connection with their ancestors. But now the small tribe is worried that the abrau family will lose its place as the Indonesian government wants to join the competitive space age < p > the Indonesian government claims that it bought more than 1500 mu of land of the abrau family decades ago and plans to build a small space launch site for launching rockets in the local area from 2017. Tribal leaders say the project will force them to leave their homes < p > last year, Indonesian President Joko Widodo personally addressed Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX Throw out an olive branch and put forward the idea of launching a rocket in Indonesia, but did not mention the launch site. Musk has not expressed his intention of cooperation or commented publicly on the matter. However, due to this possibility, byak island has carried out a series of activities to publicize the site, which has aroused the repeated opposition of the indigenous people on the island. < / P > < p > the construction of a space launch site in Indonesia includes New bases, power plants and highways often rarely consider the environmental impact. The leaders of the indigenous tribes of Biak island said that the construction of a local space launch site means cutting down trees in protected forests, disturbing the habitat of endangered birds, and causing the abrau people to leave their homes. < / P > < p > "the position of the indigenous people is very clear: we oppose the plan." "We don't want to lose our farm because of this spaceport. We don't eat satellites. We eat taros and fish in the sea. This is our way of life for generations. Tell musk that's our position." < / P > < p > Biak island is located in the northern part of the island of New Guinea and is part of Papua province, Indonesia. The shrinking abrau tribe is one of 360 tribes on Biak island and now has about 90 members. Most of the tribe members live in woben village in the northeast of the island, about 1.6 kilometers away from the planned space launch site. < / P > < p > the center of tribal life is a tree on the sea A flowering nightshade tree. Clan members believe that this tree is sacred. They regard it as the birthplace of the abrawu people and often go to worship their ancestors. Sometimes they gather there and camp for a few days. If the space launch site is completed, the tree will become a restricted area like the beaches and cultivated forests where the abrawu people often fish. < / P > < p > "For the abrawu people, land is identity," said the tribal leader marthen abrauw. "We will lose our identity. No other tribe will accept us to live on their land. Where will our future generations go?" < / P > < p > some tribal members have found jobs in other parts of Indonesia, but the people who stay in woben village mainly rely on fishing and planting taro, cassava and sweet potato. This clan implements nomadic agriculture, clearing trees in the forest and planting crops in new sites every two years. < / P > < p > Indonesian officials who support the construction of the space launch site said that Biak island is located just below the equator 112 kilometers south, facing the Pacific Ocean, is an ideal place to launch rockets. SpaceX is planning to put tens of thousands of communication satellites into orbit in the next few years. < / P > < p > "this is our wealth," said Henry ario NAAP, the manager of Biak Island, who is promoting the construction of the space launch site. "There may be oil or gold in other areas. Our geographical location is very important." < / P > < p > in order to win Musk's favor, Indonesian President Joko said that Tesla could also cooperate with Indonesia to produce electric vehicle batteries. Officials said that a SpaceX team visited Indonesia earlier this year to discuss possible cooperation. < / P > < p > in February this year, Tesla submitted a proposal on battery production to Indonesia, but the government refused to disclose specific details. Musk and Tesla also did not respond to requests for comment. In September, zoko increased the budget of the space program 20 times and included it in the work scope of the newly established Indonesian national research and Innovation Agency, reporting directly to zoko. < / P > < p > the chairman of the agency, laksana Terry handoc Laksana tri handoko personally visited the site of the launch site on byak island last month. Handoko said that byak island is still a feasible option, but the construction of the large space launch site he envisaged requires 10 times larger land. The dispute over the byak site may prompt him to choose another location, such as Morotai Island, 880 kilometers northwest of byak. < / P > < p > He said a key factor is to ensure that the Indonesian government has "clear" land ownership. "Biak island is not the only place," he said. "We have many options." < / P > < p > the map shows that almost all the ancestral lands of the abrau family, including some houses, are in the buffer zone of the planned space launch site. If a small space launch site is built, the residents in the buffer zone need to move out. The map also shows that the original project site was almost entirely located in a protected forest area. < / P > < p > the Indonesian government insists that it was built in 1980 The abrawu people bought the land with an area of more than 1500 mu. However, the abrawu family said that they had never sold the land. According to the family leader, the four men who signed the land authorization document were not tribal members and had no right to sell. < / P > < p > cousin of the tribal leader Gesen abrawu (Gerson abrauw) denied the Indonesian government's claim that the space launch site will provide employment opportunities. < / P > < p > he said: "they say that the space launch site project will create employment opportunities, but there are no space experts in our tribe and village." They just mean cutting down trees, grubbing roots and digging foundations. A farewell party will be held in three years, and then only those with access control can enter the area. "(Chenchen) < / P > < p >