ASIA/INDONESIA - Violations of human rights of indigenous peoples: first investigation

Thursday, 26 March 2015

Jakarta (Agenzia Fides) - indigenous people of Indonesia have been the victims of violations of human rights, of the right to property, of the right to a decent and safe life for many years. This is what we read in the first national report on the Violation of Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the forest areas of the Country, which will be published in May by the National Commission on Human Rights. The issue was addressed recently in Jakarta by a group of researchers during a press conference organized by the Indigenous Peoples' Alliance of The Archipelago (AMAN), news of which was sent to Agenzia Fides. The report is based on research carried out for months in Sumatra, Java, Bali-Nusa, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Maluku and Papua. Among the conclusions we report: currently on maps and official documents there are no traces of borders regarding indigenous territories; this part of the population is facing serious legal obstacles to lay claim to their legitimacy; women are discriminated against in many ways; government agencies, including police and military forces, have engaged mainly in the private sector, neglecting indigenous communities; there is no institution at a ministerial level that has the mandate to resolve land conflicts. AMAN represents 15 million people in 2,244 indigenous communities throughout Indonesia. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 26/03/2015)


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