Mataram (ANTARA) - The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Provincial Government\nhas stressed that the Draft Law on Customary Law Communities (RUU\nMasyarakat Adat) must be capable of guaranteeing the welfare of\nindigenous communities through the protection of rights, living spaces,\nand equitable economic empowerment.<\/p>\n
Head of the NTB Culture Office, Muhamad Ihwan, stated that the draft\nregulation must not stop merely at recognising the existence of\nindigenous communities. \u2018It is not enough for indigenous communities to\nonly have their existence recognised, they must be protected and made\nprosperous,\u2019 he said in a statement in Mataram on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Ihwan explained that indigenous communities need more than just legal\nrecognition. They require protection of their customary territories,\nguarantees of traditional rights, and support to develop economically\nwithout losing their cultural identity.<\/p>\n
Several indigenous communities in West Nusa Tenggara are currently\nstill facing issues related to the protection of customary territories,\nland disputes, preservation of traditional houses, protection of\nhistorical sites and ancient manuscripts, and strengthening of customary\ninstitutions.<\/p>\n
\u2018Although diverse, the aspirations that emerge share a common thread\nof recognition, protection, and welfare. These three words are the core\nof indigenous communities\u2019 hopes for the state\u2019s presence,\u2019 said\nIhwan.<\/p>\n
He hopes that the Customary Law Communities Bill will be able to\nbecome a legal instrument that provides certainty while simultaneously\nopening up space for empowerment. Indigenous communities are not merely\nsocial groups inheriting traditions passed down through generations;\nthey are guardians of local knowledge, preservers of the environment,\nand holders of cultural values that are still alive today.<\/p>\n
On Lombok Island, the Bayan customary law community is one example of\nan indigenous community that still strongly maintains its value systems,\ninstitutions, and ancestral traditions. Meanwhile, on Sumbawa Island,\nvarious indigenous communities have historical and cultural links to the\nBima Sultanate and the Dompu Sultanate, which have shaped the social\nidentity of the community for centuries.<\/p>\n
\u2018The existence of the Customary Law Communities Bill is important to\nprovide stronger legal certainty for the existence of indigenous\ncommunities along with the rights inherent within them,\u2019 said Ihwan.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ntb-government-customary-law-communities-bill-must-guarantee-welfare-1781186456", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }