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House pushed to pass indigenous peoples bill after controversial 2020 legislation
The recently passed Job Creation Law and Mining Law revision are deemed harmful for indigenous communities across Indonesia.
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Representatives of Singkawang, West Kalimantan, wear traditional dress during the National Association of Municipal Administrations (APEKSI) 12th Cultural Parade in Malang, East Java, on July 19, 2017. (JP/Aman Rochman)
C
ivil rights groups and indigenous communities are calling on the House of Representatives to pass the indigenous peoples bill that will provide recognition of their rights and customary law in certain matters, such as the management of natural resources and the distribution of inherited land.
They also slammed the legislative body for passing the Job Creation Law and revising the Mining Law, both of which they deem detrimental to indigenous communities across the country.
Passing the indigenous peoples bill is important for the country amid a lack of regulations that define and protect indigenous rights, according to the Association for Community-Based and Ecological Legal Reform (HuMa).
“There are some [bylaws on indigenous rights], but they still cover only a limited number of issues about natural resources,” HuMa executive coordinator Agung Wibowo said in an online discussion on Jan. 19.
Once passed, a law on indigenous people would require the government to recognize indigenous peoples’ rights in managing their own affairs according to their customs, he added. The law would also protect the communities, which are commonly deemed as marginalized groups, against any party trying to undermine them.
I Gusti Agung Made Wardhana, an environmental law expert with Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, said the passing of Job Creation Law and the Mining Law revision would only benefit large corporations and potentially harm indigenous people.
