Governor Khofifah Receives Tengger Tribe Representatives at Grahadi, Initiates Indigenous Peoples Regional Regulation to Strengthen Protection and Empowerment of Indigenous Communities Across East Java
East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa has initiated the formation of a Regional Regulation (Perda) on Indigenous Peoples as a strategic step to strengthen the recognition, protection, and empowerment of indigenous communities across East Java.
The initiative was conveyed by Governor Khofifah during an audience with representatives of the Tengger tribe from four regions, namely Probolinggo Regency, Pasuruan, Malang, and Lumajang, at the State Building Grahadi, Surabaya, on Thursday (26/3).
On this occasion, Governor Khofifah emphasised that the Perda is not only intended for the Tengger community but will also accommodate other indigenous communities in East Java, such as the Samin and Osing tribes, under a single provincial-level legal umbrella.
As an acceleration step, Khofifah instructed the Provincial Secretariat’s Legal Bureau together with the East Java Provincial Culture and Tourism Office to immediately conduct a study on the initiative. She assessed that provincial-level regulation would serve as a more effective legal umbrella compared to partial arrangements in each regency/city.
“Through the Perda, it can be simpler, covering various regions as well as other tribes,” said Khofifah.
“So if possible, this should be an initiative from the Provincial Government alone,” she added firmly.
Thus, she is optimistic that the recognition of the existence and rights of indigenous peoples in East Java can proceed in harmony without disparities between regions.
Furthermore, Khofifah also gave special attention to the welfare aspects of indigenous peoples, especially those in strategic tourism areas like Mount Bromo. She noted that to date, the revenue-sharing scheme from economic activities in the area has not been fully felt by the local indigenous community.
To that end, Khofifah asked relevant officials to explore opportunities for strengthening fiscal schemes through existing regulations, including studying the Law on Financial Relations between the Central Government and Regional Governments (HKPD), to ensure that the area’s economic potential directly benefits the region and surrounding communities.
In addition, Khofifah highlighted the importance of improving supporting infrastructure in the tourism area. According to her, Mount Bromo’s status as a world tourism destination must be matched with adequate infrastructure readiness.
“The supporting infrastructure should also align with Mount Bromo’s world tourism status. But the supporting infrastructure is still very minimal,” she stated.
Closing the meeting, Khofifah emphasised that preserving local wisdom is an important foundation in regional development. She hopes that through the initiated Indigenous Peoples Perda, the continuity of culture and rights of indigenous peoples can be maintained, while encouraging them to become a main part of regional economic development.
“Recognising local wisdoms is important,” she stressed.
Meanwhile, the Tengger tribe elder, Supoyo, expressed appreciation and thanks for Governor Khofifah’s attention to indigenous peoples. He assessed that this attention provides new hope for strengthening legal protection and welfare of indigenous peoples in the future.
“Thank you, Madam Governor, we always feel protected from various policies to infrastructure development,” he said.
“With this Perda in the future, we hope that going forward, our children and subsequent generations will also have a legal umbrella when budgeting through funds sourced from Village Funds or provincial or central government funds,” he concluded.