Coordinating Ministry Synergises with Agencies to Resolve Badui Indigenous Issues

The Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment (Kemenko PM) is pushing for the accelerated resolution of various strategic issues faced by the Badui indigenous community, ranging from traditional governance management and the utilisation of Village Funds to the protection of customary territories and the sustainability of the community’s living space.

“Joint steps are needed to ensure that development policies can run in harmony with the customary system that has become part of the Badui community’s life. The approach taken must respect customary values while providing certainty in governance and development administration,” said Abdul Haris, Deputy for Coordination of Village Community Empowerment, Disadvantaged Regions, and Specific Regions at Kemenko PM, in Jakarta on Friday.

He stated that the existing challenges are not only related to the implementation of government programmes but also concern the harmonisation between the national government administration system and the customary governance that has lived and developed for generations within the Badui community.

“Kemenko PM will coordinate further discussions with relevant ministries, agencies, and local governments to encourage regulatory alignment, strengthen adaptive governance management suited to the characteristics of indigenous communities, and accelerate the resolution of various issues related to customary territories and community empowerment,” said Abdul Haris.

The Badui community has been officially recognised by the state as a Customary Law Community inhabiting the Kanekes Village area following various regional regulations.

However, the implementation of several development policies, particularly regarding the utilisation of Village Funds, still faces challenges due to the suboptimal harmonisation between village government administrative mechanisms and the prevailing customary governance system.