GNV News, August 23, 2024

According to an article on August 21, 2024 from Mongabay, Indonesia’s Joko Widodo administration recently issued land titles covering more than 1 million hectares to Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLC), bringing the total recognized area nationwide to 8 million hectares. However, critics say the government’s efforts to recognize and protect Indigenous rights remain too slow. According to BRWA, Indonesia’s customary land registration organization, the land that Indigenous groups claim exceeds 30 million hectares.

There are various issues that threaten Indigenous land rights. For example, the global push for renewable energy has made nickel used in electric vehicles a rapidly growing market, resulting in a situation where lands inhabited by many Indigenous peoples are being seized for nickel mining projects. Furthermore, under the Widodo administration, there are reported cases in which Indigenous people are being forcibly evicted to create the new capital, Nusantara. They have lived there for generations and are de facto landowners, but often lack legal documents to prove it.

Learn more about Indonesia’s political issues → “Challenges Remaining in Indonesia After Democratization”

Learn more about labor issues in Indonesia → “Labor Issues in Indonesia and the Omnibus Law”

President Widodo inspecting the planned site of the new capital, Nusantara (Photo: President of the Republic of Indonesia / GetArchive [Public domain])