AMAN Hopes Indigenous Peoples' Bill to be Passed by End of 2026 at Latest

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara (AMAN) has expressed hope that the Rancangan Undang-Undang (RUU) Masyarakat Adat can be swiftly enacted into law by the end of 2026 at the latest.

“We are here with great hope that this Indigenous Peoples’ Act can be passed as soon as possible, at the latest by the end of this year,” said AMAN’s Secretary General, Rukka Sombolinggi, during a Public Hearing (RDPU) with the House of Representatives’ Legislation Body (Baleg) at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta on Wednesday.

According to her, indigenous communities are approaching this with renewed spirit and high hopes for accelerating the enactment of the regulation.

She also expressed appreciation to the House of Representatives for accepting the nomenclature “masyarakat adat” as the title and substance in the draft bill.

In her view, this step represents a form of respect for the long struggle of indigenous peoples that has been ongoing since the 1980s.

“We express our thanks and appreciation for this fundamental and very important action by the House of Representatives in accepting the nomenclature of indigenous peoples as the title and substance of this draft bill,” she said.

“We want to be called by our name, which is indigenous peoples, not something else,” she added.

Rukka explained that the Indigenous Peoples’ Bill has undergone a lengthy process of drafting the academic paper, from adat consultations in various regions to discussions in universities and public forums.

She assessed that the urgency of passing the bill is growing stronger amid various crises currently faced, from climate crises, humanitarian issues, to social and cultural ones.

In that context, she stated that indigenous peoples play an important role in maintaining ecosystems and environmental sustainability.

“The role of indigenous peoples allows us to still breathe today because they maintain the best ecosystems in the world,” she said.

Nevertheless, she stressed that this role requires legal recognition and protection to continue optimally.

In line with that, her side hopes that the House of Representatives can complete the discussion and enact the Indigenous Peoples’ Bill in the near future as a form of the state’s commitment to protecting the rights of indigenous peoples.

“For that reason, we hope that this act can be passed as soon as possible before the end of this year,” she said.