Summary of Indonesian laws which recognise Indigenous Peoples’ rights

By : Idham Kurniawan

Hierarchy of Indonesian law

Undang-undang Dasar 1945

(UUD ’45)
Indonesian Constitution

TAP MPR – RI
Indonesian People’s Assembly
Decree

Undang - Undang
Laws / acts

Peraturan Pemerintah Pengganti

Undang-undang (Perpu)
Government Regulation with status of
a Law (Only Temporary, pending new law)

Peraturan Pemerintah (PP)

Government Regulation

Keputusan Presiden (Keppres)

Presidential decree
Keputusan / Peraturan Menteri
(Kepmen/Permen)
Minister Policies (as technical rule)
Peraturan Daerah
Local Government Regulation

Peraturan Desa (Perdes)

Village Government Regulation

: Stated in TAP MPR no. III/2000 as hierarchy of Indonesian law

: not Mentioned in TAP MPR no. III/2000 but also used as rule in practice


An NGO activist who work with Indigenous Peoples in Java
Which laws recognise indigenous peoples’ rights and their existence?

1. 2nd amendment of The Indonesian Constitution in 2000 (Perubahan kedua

Undang-undang Dasar 1945)
 Chapter VI article 18 B Paragraph (2) states that :
‘Negara mengakui dan menghormati kesatuan-kesatuan masyarakat hukum adat serta
hak-hak tradisonalnya sepanjang masih hidup dan sesuai dengan perkembangan
masyarakat dan prinsip Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia, yang diatur dalam
undang-undang.’
(‘The state shall recognize and respect the units of customary law societies 1 with
their traditional rights as long as they still exist and are in accordance with
community development2 and the principle of the Unitary State of the Republic
of Indonesia, as regulated by laws’)
 Chapter XA Article 28 i Paragraph (3) states that :
‘Identitas budaya dan hak masyarakat tradisional dihormati selaras dengan
perkembangan zaman dan peradaban.’
(The cultural identity and traditional community rights shall be respected in line
with progress and human civilization)

Comment :
# Despite different terms used to mention indigenous peoples (one article calls
indigenous peoples ‘customary law societies’ while another calls them
‘Traditional communities’), the spirit of these articles is to recognise indigenous
Peoples’ existence with all of their rights within the Indonesian Constitution.

2. TAP MPR No.IX Tahun 2001 tentang Pembaruan Agraria dan Pengelolaan
Sumber Daya Alam (People’s Assembly Decree no.9/2001 about Agrarian Reform
& Natural Resource Management)
 Article 4 says that ; The implementation of agrarian reform and natural resource
management shall be based on the following principles:
point b ; Menghormati dan Menjunjung tinggi Hak Azasi Manusia
(respecting and honouring human rights)
point j ; mengakui, menghormati, dan melindungi hak masyarakat hukum adat dan
keragaman budaya bangsa atas sumber daya agraria/sumber daya alam
(recognising, respecting, and protecting the rights of the customary
law societies and the diversity of the national culture with respect to
agrarian resources/natural resources)
 Article 6 says that the People’s Assembly ;
‘Menugaskan Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Republik Indonesia bersama Presiden Republik
Indonesia untuk segera mengatur lebih lanjut pelaksanaan pembaruan agraria dan
pengelolaan sumber daya alam serta mencabut, mengubah dan/atau mengganti semua
undang-undang dan peraturan pelaksanaannya yang tidak sejalan dengan Ketetapan
ini.’

1
‘Customary law societies’ is the literal translation of Masyarakat hukum adat, which means those communities
who live by customary law.
2
‘In accordance with community development’ is literal translation of ‘sesuai dengan perkembangan masyarakat’
and its implies that indigenous peoples are at the lower level of indigenous society
 (The DPR3 and the President of the Republic of Indonesia are tasked to
immediately regulate the further implementation of agrarian reform and natural
resource management and to revoke, amend and/or revise all laws, rules and
regulations that are not in conformity with this Decree.)

Comment :
# Unfortunately, this decree has not yet been applied because the Government and
the Indonesian legislative haven’t passed the laws required to implement it. NGOs
who are currently working for Indigenous Peoples and Environmental issues are
trying to push the government and legislative to do this.

3. Undang-Undang Pokok Agraria tahun 1960 (UUPA no.5 tahun 1960), as the Basic
Agrarian Law
 Chapter I article 5 says that ;
‘Hukum agraria yang berlaku atas bumi, air dan ruang angkasa ialah hukum adat,
sepanjang tidak bertentangan dengan kepentingan nasional dan Negara, yang
berdasarkan atas persatuan bangsa, dengan sosialisme Indonesia serta dengan peraturan-
peraturan yang tercantum dalam Undang-undang ini dan dengan peraturan
perundang-undangan lainnya, segala sesuatu dengan mengindahkan unsur-unsur yang
bersandar pada hukum agama.’
(The agrarian law which applies to land, water and space is customary law, as
long as this does not conflict with national and state interests - which are based
on the unity of the nation, Indonesian socialism and other regulations in this and
other laws, and due respect to norms founded in religious laws)4

Comment :
# There is still an ambiguity in this law. Although it recognises that customary law
should be used to control land, water, and space, it then denies this authority with
the phrase ‘as long as this does not conflict with national and state interests…’

4. Undang-undang Kehutanan no. 41 tahun 1999 (Indonesian Forestry Act no.

41/1999)
 Chapter I article 1 Paragraph 6 states that : “Hutan adat adalah hutan negara yang
berada dalam wilayah masyarakat hukum adat” ("Adat" forest means state forests
located in traditional jurisdiction areas)
 Chapter II Article 5 Paragraph (2), (3) & (4).
(2) Hutan negara sebagaimana dimaksud pada ayat (1) huruf a, dapat berupa hutan adat.
(‘State forest as referred to in paragraph (1) point a, can be in the form of
"adat" forest’)
(3) Pemerintah menetapkan status hutan sebagaimana dimaksud pada ayat (1) dan ayat
(2); dan hutan adat ditetapkan sepanjang menurut kenyataannya masyarakat hukum
adat yang bersangkutan masih ada dan diakui keberadaannya.
(‘Government determines the status of forest as referred to in paragraph (1)
and paragraph (2); adat forest shall be determined as long as customary law
societies still exist and their existence is recognised’)
3
DPR is the Indonesian Legislative body which is equivalent to Parliament in the UK
4
This law was passed during the rule of the first president of Indonesia, Soekarno, and reflects his view of the State
which was very different from the perspectives of subsequent presidents. The 1960 Agrarian Law has never been
fully implemented, but it has also never been repealed.
 (4) Apabila dalam perkembangannya masyarakat hukum adat yang bersangkutan tidak
ada lagi, maka hak pengelolaan hutan adat kembali kepada Pemerintah.
(‘If as result of developments, the customary law societies no longer exist, the
management rights of those "adat" forests shall return to the government’)
 Chapter IX Article 67 states that :
(1) Masyarakat hukum adat sepanjang menurut kenyataannya masih ada dan diakui
keberadaannya berhak: (As long as customary law societies exist and
recognised, they have the rights to:)
a. melakukan pemungutan hasil hutan untuk pemenuhan kebutuhan hidup sehari-
hari masyarakat adat yang bersangkutan; (collect forest products to meet the
daily needs of these communities;)
b. melakukan kegiatan pengelolaan hutan berdasarkan hukum adat yang berlaku dan
tidak bertentangan dengan undang-undang; dan (manage forests in accordance
with prevailing customary laws which do not contravene (state) laws;
and)
c. mendapatkan pemberdayaan dalam rangka meningkatkan kesejahteraannya. (be
empowered to improve their welfare5.)
(2) Pengukuhan keberadaan dan hapusnya masyarakat hukum adat sebagaimana
dimaksud pada ayat (1) ditetapkan dengan Peraturan Daerah. (Confirmation of the
existence and abolishment of customary law societies as referred to in
paragraph (1) shall be stipulated in Local Regulations.)
(3) Ketentuan lebih lanjut sebagaimana dimaksud pada ayat (1) dan ayat (2) diatur
dengan Peraturan Pemerintah. (Further provisions as referred to in paragraph
(1) and paragraph (2), shall be regulated by Government Regulations.)

Comment :
# This act shows the ambiguity of the Indonesian government. On one hand, the
government appears to recognise indigenous peoples’ rights to their forest, while
on the other hand they claim the forests as state forest, which means that
indigenous peoples’ rights are considered inferior to state rights. For example, the
explanatory notes to article 5 state that: ‘state forest can be adat Forest, i.e. state
forest where management has been handed over to customary law societies. Such
adat Forests used to be called hutan ulayat, hutan marga, hutan pertuanan or
other names. Forest which is managed by customary law societies is included in
state forests as a consequence of the principle of state ownership which is the
highest authority of all Indonesian society and the principle of Unity of the
Indonesian Republic6 (Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia).’

In general, this act eliminates indigenous peoples’ rights to their land and forests
even though it appears to recognise indigenous peoples’ rights. This act was
opposed by NGOs and people who are concerned about indigenous peoples’
rights. They want this act to be amended or cancelled.

5
This means indigenous communities have the right to be included in government programmes intended to improve
community livelihoods.
6
The concept of the ‘Unity of the Indonesian Republic’ is always used by the government to legitimise its control of land and
natural resources. The government fears that attempts by indigenous peoples to control their resources could result in the
fragmentation or disintegration of the country. Indigenous demands in Aceh and West Papua are particularly sensitive issues.
5. Undang-undang no. 22/1999 tentang Pemerintahan Daerah (Local Government
Act no. 22/1999)
 Chapter I Article 1 point o states that :
‘Desa atau yang disebut dengan nama lain, selanjutnya disebut Desa, adalah kesatuan
masyarakat hukum yang memiliki kewenangan untuk mengatur dan mengurus
kepentingan masyarakat setempat berdasarkan asal-usul dan adat istiadat setempat yang
diakui dalam sistem Pemerintahan Nasional dan berada di Daerah Kabupaten.’
(Villages, or other forms of settlement henceforth called villages, are units of law-
based society which have the authority to manage and take care of local
communities’ interests based on their origins and local customs, within District
territory and as recognised by the national government system)
 Chapter XI Article 111 paragraph (2) States that :
‘Peraturan Daerah, sebagaimana dimaksud pada ayat (1), wajib mengakui dan
menghormati hak, asal-usul, dan adat istiadat Desa.’
(Local Government Regulations, as meant in paragraph (1), must recognise and
respect the village’s rights, origins, and customs.)

Comment :
# With this act, many villages in Indonesia reformed their governance structure
and went back to their customary system. However, article 93 paragraph (1)
states that ‘villages can be created, eliminated, and/or merged, paying due
attention to their origins, with the approval of the local Government and local
Legislative’. Also paragraph 2 states that ‘creating, eliminating, and/or merging
villages, under paragraph (1), will be formalised by local government
regulation’. Unfortunately, there are no further regulations under this law that
specifically recognise Indigenous Peoples’ Rights.

General Comment :
 If we look at the hierarchy of Indonesian regulations, we can see that the regulations below
the Constitution and People’s Assembly Decree present problems for the recognition of
Indigenous Peoples’ Rights because they contain ambiguities.