Banten, July 17, 2026 – Kasepuhan-kasepuhan in South Banten together with the Indigenous Bill Coalition reaffirmed the importance of state recognition of Indigenous Peoples through the acceleration of the ratification of the Indigenous Peoples Bill (Indigenous Peoples Bill) in a Public Discussion and Consolidation held by Kasepuhan Citorek, Lebak Regency, Banten.

This activity brought together representatives of the 15 Kasepuhan communities in Banten Kidul, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Elders, Indigenous Youth, Indigenous Women, civil society organizations, academics, students, media, and legislative representatives of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia to strengthen the consolidation of movements, build public support, and develop strategic steps to accelerate the ratification of the Indigenous Peoples Bill which has been delayed for 16 years.

On this occasion, Ahmad Fauzi, Member of Commission V of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia from the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction, expressed his optimism that the discussion of the Indigenous Peoples Bill would be accelerated and could be passed soon. According to him, the Indigenous Peoples Bill has been included as a bill proposed by the Legislation Body (Baleg) of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia in the 2026 Priority National Legislation Program (Prolegnas), so that the discussion process will continue to be encouraged by involving various stakeholders.

“I am optimistic that the discussion of the Indigenous Peoples Bill will be accelerated and passed soon. This bill is a proposal of the Legislative Body of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia. Currently, we continue to discuss with stakeholders so that the substance of the law that is drafted is truly comprehensive and answers the needs of the community. We are looking for opinions from all levels of society,” said Ahmad Fauzi.

The existence of Indigenous Peoples and their traditional rights has been guaranteed in Article 18B paragraph (2) and Article 28I paragraph (3) of the 1945 Constitution. However, until now, Indonesia does not have a law that comprehensively regulates the recognition, protection, and fulfillment of the rights of Indigenous Peoples. As a result, for almost 16 years, the Indigenous Peoples Bill has continued to be held back in the National Legislation Program (Prolegnas), while various conflicts in customary territories continue to increase.

This situation is reflected in various facts on the ground. Throughout 2025, the Alliance of Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago (AMAN) recorded 135 cases of indigenous land grabbing that impacted 109 Indigenous Peoples communities. The area seized reached around 3.8 million hectares. In addition to losing their living space, at least 162 people from Indigenous communities have become victims of criminalization and various forms of violence. This data shows that the lack of strong legal protections continues to place Indigenous Peoples in a vulnerable position to land grabbing, agrarian conflicts, and various forms of human rights violations.

On the other hand, the Customary Territories Registration Agency (BRWA) has registered 1,583 customary territories covering an area of 32.3 million hectares spread across 32 provinces. However, only a small number have obtained legal recognition from the state. This gap not only reflects the weak implementation of constitutional recognition, but also threatens the sustainability of Indigenous peoples’ knowledge systems and ways of life that depend on customary territories as living spaces and practice spaces.

For the Kasepuhan Indigenous People in South Banten, traditional knowledge is not just a cultural heritage, but a life system that maintains a balance between humans and nature. Through forest management, protection of spring water sources, the use of local seeds, and the existence of leuit as a traditional food barn, the community proves that food sovereignty can be realized through traditional practices that have been inherited from generation to generation.

The experience of the Kasepuhan Indigenous Peoples shows that when customary territories are maintained, indigenous peoples are able to maintain food sovereignty, maintain biodiversity, and preserve forests and living spaces. Therefore, the protection of Indigenous Peoples is also an important part of efforts to realize ecological justice and confront the climate crisis.

The role of indigenous women is an inseparable part in maintaining the sustainability of Indigenous peoples’ food systems. For the Kasepuhan community, women not only meet the family’s food needs, but also maintain the knowledge, traditions, and cycles of traditional agriculture that are passed down through generations.

Een Suryani, an Indigenous woman from Kasepuhan Karang, explained that indigenous women play a role in all stages of food management, from selecting seeds to maintaining crops in leuit as traditional food barns.

“We are Kasepuhan indigenous women in Lebak. Our daily work is to maintain food sovereignty. Like growing rice, we start by choosing seeds. When planting, women also play a very important role. Until harvest time, we put rice in leuit. Women also play a role in processing rice into rice for daily consumption, as well as being prepared for the Seren Taun celebration as a form of our gratitude,” said Een.

Meanwhile, Rosmawati, a representative of Indigenous Women and the Nusantara Indigenous Youth Council of the Java Region, emphasized that Indigenous Peoples have a knowledge system that has been proven to maintain food security and sovereignty for generations. However, this knowledge cannot be separated from the existence of customary territories as living spaces and practice spaces.

“We have food that can sustain life for hundreds of years to come. But when the practice space for customary territories is lost, so is our knowledge. For this reason, we demand that the Indigenous Peoples Law be passed immediately,” said Romawati.

According to him, the struggle to fight for the ratification of the Indigenous Peoples Bill must go hand in hand with strengthening the role of the younger generation in managing customary territories and preserving ancestral knowledge.

“We, the Traditional Youth, unite, rise, move to take care of the customary territory. We call on all Indigenous Youth in various regions to carry out the movement to return to their hometowns, farm and raise livestock in the way taught by our ancestors, so that nature remains fertile and produce is always there for our children and grandchildren,” added Rosmawati.

Indigenous Bill Coalition emphasized that the ratification of the Indigenous Peoples Bill is not only about the recognition of cultural identity, but also about providing legal certainty for customary territories, preventing agrarian conflicts, protecting defenders of Indigenous Peoples’ rights, and ensuring that indigenous knowledge remains part of Indonesia’s just and sustainable development.

Through the Consolidation of Banten Kidul, the Kasepuhan Indigenous Peoples together with the Kawal Coalition on the Indigenous Peoples Bill conveyed a joint call to the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia and the Government to:

1. Discuss and pass the Indigenous Peoples Bill in 2026.
2. Opening up a space for meaningful participation for Indigenous communities and civil society in the discussion process carried out by the Working Committee (PANJA) of the Indigenous Peoples Bill at the Legislation Body of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia.
3. Stop criminalization, intimidation, violence, and the dispossession of customary territories during the discussion process
4. Recognizing and protecting indigenous knowledge systems as an important part of maintaining food sovereignty, ecological justice, and environmental sustainability in Indonesia.

Kasepuhan-kasepuhan in South Banten emphasized that maintaining indigenous knowledge means safeguarding the future. The ratification of the Indigenous Peoples Bill is an important step to ensure that indigenous peoples obtain legal certainty, are protected from various forms of land grabbing, while strengthening the role of Indigenous Peoples in protecting forests, food, and the sustainability of living spaces.

About the Indigenous Bill Coalition

Indigenous Bill Coalition is a network of civil society organizations, Indigenous communities, academics, and individuals who are committed to overseeing the legislative process and encouraging the acceleration of the ratification of the Indigenous Peoples Bill as part of strengthening democracy and protecting the constitutional rights of citizens.

Contact Person:

Agetha Lestari | Indigenous Bill Coalition Campaign Team

Luluk Ulyah | Indigenous Bill Coalition Campaign Team

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Disclaimer: This article was written in Indonesia and has been translated by Google Translate. In case of dispute or discrepancy, the original language of the article should prevail.