Protecting Indigenous Collective Land Property in Indonesia under International Human Rights Norms
Abstract
This essay examines the applicability of international human rights instruments as the legal basis to protect indigenous rights to land, territories, and natural resources to non-ratification countries of the Convention on indigenous peoples’ rights, especially to the Indonesian context. In the last few decades, the United Nations has developed and recognized the rights of indigenous peoples, including rights to their ancestral lands, territories, and resources. These rights have been stipulated in several instruments, such as the ILO Conventions No.169 and UNDRIP. Nevertheless, most Asian and African countries have not ratified the Treaty, including Indonesia. Consequently, the rights failed to be adopted into national policies, which the ratification is a pre-condition before came into force through the national regulations. Indonesia also doubted the exclusive rights of land, territories, and resources traditionally owned by indigenous peoples. Legally, lands, territories, and resources are controlled by the States, as mentioned in Article 33 of the 1945 Constitutional law. Economically, Indonesia relies on land, territories, and natural resources to boost its national revenues. To achieve this aim, the expropriation of indigenous land and territories often occurs through land concession policy for private or state-owned companies. As a result, land tenure and social conflict were common phenomena from the New Order Regime until the current day. This conflict spreads across the country from the west part (Sumatra) to the east of Indonesia (Papua). Therefore, author argues that applying general international human rights instruments will be an alternative approach in protecting the fundamental rights related to their traditional land rights in the Indonesian context.
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PERDA Kab. Kutai Barat No. 6 Tahun 2014 tentang Perlindungan terhadap Hutan Adat, Situs-Situs Bersejarah, Flora dan Fauna serta Pelestarian Lingkungan Hidup dalam Wilayah Kabupaten Kutai Barat, 6 (2014).
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Robinson, Kathryn, “Mining, Land and Community Rights in Indonesia” in John F McCarthy, ed, Land and Development in Indonesia (Singapore: ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, 2017).
Schulze, Kirsten E, The Free Aceh Movement (GAM): Anatomy of a Separatist Organization (USA: East-West Center Washington, 2004).
Smith, Donald B, “Deskaheh | The Canadian Encyclopedia”, (2006), online:
Sulaiman, M Isa, Aceh merdeka: ideologi, kepemimpinan, dan gerakan (Banda Aceh: Pustaka Al-Kautsar, 2000).
Undang-Undang Nomor 11 Tahun 2006 tentang Pemerintahan Aceh, 11/2006 (2006).
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, A/RES/61/295 (2007).
United Nations, General Assembly, “Universal Declaration of Human Rights | United Nations”, (1948), online:
Vaughn, Bruce, Indonesia: Domestic Politics, Strategic Dynamics, and American Interests (USA: DIANE Publishing, 2010).
Watch, Human Rights, The Context of the Current Violations: The Long War in Aceh, by Human Rights Watch (Jakarta: Human Right Watch, 2004).
Wiessner, Siegfried, “The Cultural Rights of Indigenous Peoples:Achievements and Continuing Challenges” (2011) 22:1 The European Journal of International Law 121–140.
Published
2022-06-30
How to Cite
FAHMI, Chairul; SIDDIQ ARMIA, Muhammad.
Protecting Indigenous Collective Land Property in Indonesia under International Human Rights Norms.
Journal of Southeast Asian Human Rights, [S.l.], v. 6, n. 1, p. 1-25, june 2022.
ISSN 2599-2147.
Available at: <https://jurnal.unej.ac.id/index.php/JSEAHR/article/view/30242>. Date accessed: 26 apr. 2024.
doi: https://doi.org/10.19184/jseahr.v6i1.30242.
Section
Articles
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
