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Prosecutions continue amid lack of indigenous people's protection
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Indigenous Sabuai people block heavy equipment to prevent what they claim is illegal logging on their customary land and forest on Seram Island, Maluku, in February. (Courtesy of/Kaleb Yamarua)
A
wave of prosecutions of indigenous people who regard themselves as defending their rights continues as local governments and law enforcement authorities fail to contextualize the habits and traditions of indigenous people amid an absence of laws protecting their rights, activists claim.
A court in Eastern Seram regency in Maluku recently rejected a pretrial motion filed by two members of Sabuai customary village against the police’s decision to name them suspects for damaging heavy equipment belonging to a logging company operating in the forest.
They are two of 26 people detained in mid-February after a protest against logging company Sumber Berkat Makmur’s activities turned into a riot. The protesters say that they were trying to protect the Mount Ahwale forest in Sabuai, which they consider part of their customary forest.
Awal Darmawan Akhmad, the sole judge presiding over the case, rejected the motion because the plaintiffs’ arguments lacked formal and material evidence.
Following the pretrial ruling last Thursday, Eastern Seram Police said they would continue the investigation into the two suspects -- Khaleb Yamarua and Stevanus Ahwalam -- accused of vandalism.
The ruling disappointed Khaleb, who said the company’s operation in Sabuai encroached on their customary forests, forcing them to damage its heavy machinery to prevent it extracting timber.
“There’s a reason why we defended our forests. Did the judge look into the report we filed with the police in 2019? The law is sharp on the bottom and blunt at the top. That’s why we are fighting against the company,” Khaleb said.
