Vice Chair of MPR Urges Acceleration of Indigenous Communities Legal Bill into Law

Vice Chair of the Indonesian House of Representatives (MPR RI) Lestari Moerdijat (Rerie) has urged the acceleration of the ratification of the Indigenous Communities Legal Bill (RUU MHA) into law. She believes that state recognition of indigenous communities must be realised promptly through a robust legal framework.

“The discussion of the RUU MHA has been ongoing for 16 years, yet a law has not yet been produced. The momentum of the National Indigenous Communities Day must drive all parties to strengthen their commitment to recognising the existence of indigenous communities in our homeland,” Rerie said in a statement on Friday, 13 March 2026.

Marking the National Indigenous Communities Day, commemorated annually on 13 March, Rerie stated there is no further reason to delay the discussion of the RUU MHA so that it may be promptly ratified into law.

“Data shows that 11.7 million hectares of indigenous territory have been lost, 162 indigenous people have been criminalised, and millions of hectares more are controlled by corporations. These are not merely figures; this is a humanitarian emergency,” Rerie said firmly.

Rerie believes that indigenous communities play a vital role in preserving the environment whilst supporting national food security.

“They protect forests and provide food without harming nature, yet they are frequently criminalised and stripped of their ancestral lands. This situation cannot be allowed to continue,” said Rerie, also a member of Commission X of the House of Representatives.

She hopes that the inclusion of the RUU MHA in the 2026 National Legislative Programme (Prolegnas) will be accompanied by substantive discussion in parliament.

Rerie, also a member of the senior leadership of the NasDem Party, further hopes that discussions on the RUU MHA will produce a strong legal framework for the existence of indigenous communities in Indonesia.

Data shows that the indigenous population in Indonesia is estimated to reach 50–70 million people. The Indigenous Territory Registry Body (BRWA) recorded the potential of mapped indigenous territories reaching 32.3 million hectares.

However, as of July 2025, the government has officially designated only approximately 333,687 to nearly 400,000 hectares of indigenous forest. Meanwhile, approximately 8.16 million hectares of indigenous territory are recorded as overlapping with mining and plantation concessions.

“The state must be present for all its citizens, including indigenous communities. This is a constitutional mandate. They have waited long enough. This year must be a year of recognition, not a year of prolonged waiting,” Rerie concluded.