Land rights for Indigenous groups in Indonesia

The Global Pluralism Monitor: Indonesia report underscores how the exploitation of land and natural resources in rural areas has negatively impacted Indigenous adat communities. Land exploitation results in the displacement of Indigenous groups and loss of access to their customary lands.

Palm oil plantations are often behind these land-related conflicts, and the government is implicated through its ability to issue required permits. The government has also been implicated in granting concessions to logging companies in Indigenous territories. Although signatories to the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Indonesia has failed to meet those standards. This includes the recognition of Indigenous groups’ authority in adat forests and the provision and enforcement of the right to free, prior and informed consent to prevent granting concessions to plantations and
companies in Indigenous territories, among others.

However, Indigenous groups are fighting back and taking legal action. In April 2021, the Moi Indigenous Peoples and the local government in Sorong, Indonesia, revoked the palm oil plantation permits to a number of companies, launching a legal battle between the two parties. Later, in November 2022, a court ruled that the Moi Indigenous people had land claims that trumped the companies’ claims. Their palm oil plantation permits were revoked. Inspired by these actions, the Awyu tribal people filed a similar suit against a palm oil company in March 2023. These claims, while inspiring, underscore the need for legal recognition of Indigenous territory by the government.

To read more about about how Indigenous communities in Indonesia have fought for their rights, and how the Indonesian government has responded to this, read the Global Pluralism Monitor: Indonesia report.