Lestari Moerdijat Urges Ratification of Indigenous Peoples Bill

Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Lestari Moerdijat has stressed that the momentum of International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples must serve as a catalyst for all parties to strengthen their commitment to legal recognition of indigenous peoples in Indonesia. Lestari conveyed this in a written statement on Sunday (9/8), coinciding with the global commemoration held every 9 August.

This year, International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples carries the theme ‘Honouring Indigenous Midwives: Safeguarding Life and Well-being’. However, Lestari highlighted the irony occurring in the country, where the legal protection system through the Indigenous Peoples Bill (RUU MHA) has yet to be ratified.

Lestari, familiarly known as Rerie, revealed that the condition of indigenous peoples is currently in a state of emergency. Citing data from the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN), she presented alarming facts regarding the loss of basic rights of indigenous citizens in various regions.

‘AMAN data shows that 11.7 million hectares of customary territory have been lost, 162 indigenous people have been criminalised, and millions of other hectares of land are controlled by corporations. This is not just a number; this is a humanitarian emergency,’ asserted Rerie, who is also a member of House of Representatives Commission X.

According to Rerie, the situation in Indonesia is highly contradictory to the spirit of the United Nations (UN), which encourages the preservation of indigenous knowledge and practices. She assessed that without strong legal certainty, efforts to safeguard the heritage of indigenous knowledge will continue to be threatened by exploitation and land conflicts.

The NasDem Party High Council member emphasised that the ratification of the Indigenous Peoples Bill is not merely a political choice, but a constitutional mandate that the state is obliged to fulfil. She urged that the legislative process be completed immediately to provide real protection.

‘The state must be present for all its citizens, including indigenous peoples. They have waited long enough. This year must be the year of recognition, not a year of protracted waiting,’ she concluded.