Baleg: Passage of Indigenous Peoples Bill Fulfils Republic's Promise

Jakarta (ANTARA) - A member of the House of Representatives’ Legislation Body (Baleg), I Nyoman Parta, views the discussion and passage of the Draft Law (RUU) on Indigenous Peoples as the fulfilment of the Republic’s promise since Indonesia’s independence era.

According to Nyoman, the Republic of Indonesia, through Article 18B of the 1945 Constitution, has mandated the regulation of indigenous peoples through legislation, yet this has not been fully realised to date.

“So, for 81 years, the republic has promised in Article 18B that indigenous peoples will be regulated by law. This is a promise from our ancestors, the founders of this republic,” Nyoman said during a General Hearing Meeting (RDPU) on the RUU on Indigenous Peoples at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Wednesday.

It is known that Article 18B paragraph (2) of the 1945 Constitution states that the state recognises and respects the unity of customary legal communities along with their traditional rights, as long as they are still alive and in accordance with societal developments and the principles of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, with the regulation to be stipulated in a law.

“In truth, if Baleg can realise this law, it is not merely a legacy from all of us here. But it is fulfilling, honouring the republic’s promise that has been outstanding for 81 years,” he stated.

Furthermore, Nyoman highlighted the importance of a comprehensive understanding of the living spaces of indigenous peoples. According to him, indigenous peoples’ issues should not be viewed merely as natural resources.

“When we talk about indigenous peoples’ land, the scope around it including water, forests, and so on, for me, it is not merely expanses of water, forests, or land,” he said.

“More than that, those expanses produce our entire culture, how Indonesian people, the people of the Archipelago, relate to the universe,” he added.

According to him, the interaction of indigenous peoples with nature also gives birth to various expressions of art and culture that form the nation’s identity. In line with these matters, Nyoman assessed that the state needs to be present through regulation to prevent potential conflicts of interest in the management of natural resources in indigenous areas.

He also hopes that DPR leadership can facilitate the acceleration of discussions so that the Indigenous Peoples RUU no longer raises concerns and can be promptly passed.