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Urgently needed: The indigenous peoples bill
Indonesia has never had a bill for indigenous people, although indigenous peoples’ rights are guaranteed by the Constitution.
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On the edge: A family of the Orang Rimba tribe lives in a flimsy hut deep in the jungle of Jambi. The Indigenous People’s Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN) said indigenous people in Indonesia had often suffered discrimination and human rights violations by the government, especially on land disputes.
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(thejakartapost.com/Iman D.Nugroho)
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owadays, the House of Representatives is the object of public disdain because of the members’ involvement in numerous corruption scandals and the blatant transactional politics that is becoming standard practice. Much of this disrespect is well deserved, especially in the light of expectations of the post-1998 euphoria of democracy and governance.
But if you look closer, there are parts of the House where people are putting in laudable efforts for the good of the public, albeit with uncertain outcomes. One such legislative activity is the continuing effort to produce an indigenous peoples bill (Undang-Undang Masyarakat Adat). It was first taken up in 2012, followed by many steps forward and an almost equal number of steps backwards. This year, we are up for another attempt to produce a groundbreaking piece of legislation.
Indonesia has never had a bill for indigenous people, although indigenous peoples’ rights are guaranteed by the Constitution. Like the agrarian reform bill, it should secure communal rights alongside individual rights.
The indigenous peoples bill will complete a constitution that has served the nation for 72 years. Indigenous peoples are an essential part of our society; they have existed even before there was a state. Preliminary discussions started in 2012 and received a big boost when President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was elected in 2014, bringing with him a commitment to support indigenous rights.
