The Indigenous Peoples Rights Movement in Indonesia : Are They Part of Democratic Process
Herry Yogaswara
Research Center for Population, Indonesian Institute of Sciences
Abstract
Indigenous Peoples (Masyarakat Adat) movement in Indonesia has been linking with dynamic of state regime and its government. While Soehartos felt down on 1998, Civil Society of Masyarakat Adat was responding by created the first congress of indigenous peoples of archipelagic on 1999. Then the Alliance of Indigenous Peoples (Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara or AMAN) was formed. In the first phase of their movement, AMAN was representing voice of indigenous peoples and tension relationship between AMAN and bureaucracy system occurred due to different interest on natural resources issues. Nowadays, after 20 years of movement, relationship between AMAN and the state, through Indonesia government has been dynamic, AMAN and other CSO more collaborative with government officer and their programe, especially related with customary forest (hutan adat) issues. In this situation there is question related to position of CSO with the state, are CSO still critical to government policy or part of government. Example from formation of The District Regulation (Peraturan Daerah) of Lebak, Banten related to recognize, protection and empowerment of masyarakat adat kasepuhan and recognition of hutan adat, I argue CSO see opportunity to realize their goals to have access on tenure system in the forest area and not captured by government ideas.
Keywords: indigenous peoples, social movement, customary forest, Banten
Topic: Local Politics and Decentralization