Jakarta, Ekuatorial – Failed to pass a new law this year, indigenous people’s alliance is pushing the government to establish a task force to set up framework for acknowledging rights of indigenous people, said Abdon Nababan, a secretary general of Indigenous Peoples’ Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN), in Jakarta, on Monday (16/2).
“AMAN has been working with the cabinet secretary on setting up a presidential decree on a task force related to indigenous people. We have already prepared the draft but have yet to have meetings due to political situation,” said Nababan.
Furthermore, he said that the task force was an initial step to establish a permanent special commission on indigenous people which had been promised by President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo during his presidential campaigns.
“We hope that the president does not forget this [commitment to establish a special commission for indigenous people] because it is stated in his vision that it’ll be under the president,” he said.
The task force’s main duties, he said, would be to ensure the issuance of the Indigenous People’s Bill with active role of the government. “Second, it is to prepare permanent agency on indigenous people. It can be mandated by the law or it can be under the president without the law. I imagine it would be similar to Creative Economy Agency [establishment],” he said. “Third, the task force would also conduct inventory on indigenous peoples victimized and give recommendations to the president for clemency, abolition, amnesty and rehabilitation.”
Its aims, he said, were to start reconciliation between the state and indigenous peoples.
Martua Sirait, member of Indonesia’s National Forestry Council, said that the task force was a crucial transitional phase to establish framework of policies related to indigenous people. “So, it is not about looking for people to fill out positions under the president but to analyze all policies related to indigenous people,” said Sirait.
Furthermore, he said that the task force would be determining the establishment of a permanent agency to tackle issues related to indigenous people.
“The task force would be deciding the national commission’s form, whether to adopt the Philippines’ national commission which acts as legislature even as judge similar to KPK [Indonesia’s Anti Corruption Commission] or adopt restitution system of South Africa where they separate legislative, judicial, and executive decisions,” he said.
Nababan said that nearly 70 percent of customary lands was occupied by mining, forest concessions, and oil palms which should be categorized as land grabbing. “But, when they protested, they were instead considered as criminals and not the other way around,” he said adding that there were 166 indigenous people criminalized for defending their rights.
“This is one of the task force’s job because there is no institution established yet to deal with this issue. Until there’s permanent institution, transitional policies are needed,” he said. “Indigenous Peoples needed these policies, it will not solve the problem immediately but at least it won’t make it worse.” Fidelis E. Satriastanti.