TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN), together with a coalition of civil society organizations, has been urging the government and the House of Representatives (DPR) to immediately pass the Indigenous Peoples Bill. AMAN Secretary-General Rukka Sombolinggi said the legislation is essential to protect indigenous communities. “This law will protect ancestral lands from being turned into a red carpet for investment,” Rukka said in Palmerah, West Jakarta, on Thursday, July 23, 2026.
Why is it important for the Indigenous Peoples Bill to be enacted?
This law would provide the legal foundation for resolving agrarian disputes, conflicts over customary territories, and violations of indigenous peoples’ rights. It would also serve as the basis for rehabilitating and providing restitution to indigenous communities that have become victims of conflict and dispossession.
Has the situation of indigenous communities improved or worsened under President Prabowo Subianto?
The Forest Area Enforcement Task Force has created a range of problems for indigenous communities on the ground. Many plantations established on customary lands that were previously considered illegal have now effectively been legalized. The data show there were 300 agrarian conflicts and 200 cases of criminalization in 2025.
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