Kaoem Telapak, the Coalition to Guard the Indigenous Peoples Bill, and the Faculty of Law Student Executive Board held a public discussion at the University of Indonesia.

The forum underlined the urgent need to pass the Indigenous Peoples Bill, which aims to recognise and protect the rights of indigenous peoples across Indonesia. Participating academics, students and civil society emphasised the importance of legal recognition of indigenous peoples’ lands, resources and cultural heritage.

Discussions revolved around conflicts between Indigenous Peoples, the state, and environmental conservation. At the event, Kaoem Telapak introduced the Ground-Truth.id, which is designed to track rights violations, such as land disputes and environmental degradation. Although it has long been proposed, the bill has been delayed due to political and economic interests. Hence, to achieve legalisation, the bill needs to have wider support.