‘Like we don’t exist’: Indigenous worry Indonesia new capital plan | Indigenous Rights Information

Sepaku, East Kalimantan – 68-year-old Sernai lives in a picket home that when belonged to her great-great-grandparents.

It’s a easy house — there is no such thing as a glass within the home windows, and it’s principally unfurnished.

That is the place she has lived her entire life. However her village is not the quiet place she associates together with her childhood. Today, she wakes each morning to the sound of heavy equipment in her again yard.

Indonesia is constructing a brand new capital metropolis in East Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo. The town will likely be known as Nusantara, and it’ll substitute the present capital Jakarta, an overcrowded and polluted metropolis and the world’s fastest-sinking metropolis.

Sernai’s village, the place she lives with fellow Balik Indigenous individuals, will finally be a part of the brand new metropolis.

“Individuals from the capital are coming. They’re pushing us out. They are going to take my home finally,” she advised Al Jazeera. She misplaced a part of her home and farmland to development of an consumption reservoir for a dam to service the brand new capital. “We will’t even get water anymore as a result of the river is blocked. The river was our supply of life. We might drink from it, bathe there, and use it for cooking. Now we will’t entry it anymore.”

Sernai stated the federal government gave her household, which incorporates her 17 grandchildren, about $3,000 in compensation.

Sernai in a long red dress with a striking blue and green formal pattern. She is standing outside her house and construction can be seen going on in the background through the foliage. — Sernai says her household now depends on native authorities to deliver them water since they not have entry to the river. When Al Jazeera visited her house, the water tank was empty [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]

However she stated it’s not sufficient to make up for the disruption to their lives.

“We used to plant coconuts and plums. There have been rows of timber, and they’re all gone now. We had every kind of fruits that we might promote on the market, like mango. Now, there’s nothing we will promote,” she stated. “We used to stay good lives, we by no means had to purchase issues like wooden, water or greens. Now, we stay depressing lives,” Sernai stated.

‘Sacrificed within the title of nationwide growth’

The Indigenous Peoples’ Alliance of Nusantara (AMAN) estimates that a minimum of 20,000 Indigenous individuals will likely be relocated as development on Nusantara progresses.

“Indigenous individuals additionally want growth, however this sort of growth will destroy them,” stated AMAN’s Muhammad Arman. “When the brand new capital is absolutely developed, there will likely be migration of individuals from different locations. Indigenous individuals will find yourself pushed out of their land, it’s only a matter of time. Growth shouldn’t violate the human rights of Indigenous individuals, they’ll’t simply be sacrificed within the title of nationwide growth.”

Advocacy teams like AMAN say one of many predominant challenges for Indigenous individuals is proving land possession to safe compensation.

“Indigenous individuals’s land possession is just not thought of to have robust legality, if there is no such thing as a certificates. So, they’re thought of to be staying on land they don’t personal,” Arman stated. “The inheritance of land in Indigenous communities is just not seen as authorized.”

A white marker with a red top amidst undergrowth. The marker has the letter B on it with IKN below that and 588 after that. — A marker that Atim discovered on his land. IKN stands for Ibu Kota Negara (capital metropolis) [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]

Atim, who can also be Balik, advised Al Jazeera he fears he might quickly lose his land to the event.

“My plantation is inherited from my ancestors. So many people don’t have paperwork. Our proof is in our historical past. Again then, issues weren’t difficult, individuals didn’t want written issues. Now we have to show our possession,” he stated. “Many individuals already felt the impression of the water consumption growth. They stated they solely wanted one or two metres, however they ended up taking an increasing number of land.”

Atim stated he feels his group is being disrespected and disenfranchised by the Indonesian authorities. Just a few weeks in the past, he discovered stakes in his plantation with the letters IKN — Ibu Kota Negara, that means the nation’s capital — painted on them. He stated nobody has advised him what the stakes imply.

“They act like we don’t exist. They act like we aren’t human. I settle for the brand new capital however don’t dismiss our rights. They wish to construct one thing by destroying what’s already right here,” he stated. “There isn’t any communication. They contain individuals from different districts, however by no means us. We don’t know what is occurring.”

‘Room for dialogue’

The pinnacle of the Nusantara Capital Authority is Bambang Susantono, an engineer and economist appointed to steer the undertaking in early 2022.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, he stated the federal government is taking steps to be inclusive of Indigenous peoples and to permit them to be extra concerned. “We now have to respect them. The Indigenous individuals, the native knowledge. That needs to be a part of our growth course of,” he stated. “We’ll give some room for dialogue, to allow them to have dialogue with us. Not simply with us however with all of the stakeholders. Typically, there could also be disagreements, so now we have to see the social and anthropological research associated to this and put that as supplies for these instances.”

Atim standing in a grove of palm trees with houses in the distance. He is wearing a white polo short with a blue pattern and collar. He has a moustache. — Atim believes different residents, together with individuals from different provinces, are being prioritised over the rights of Indigenous peoples [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]

Sibukdin standing near an oil palm tree with houses behind him. He is wearing a patterned shirt and with a yellow scarf with tassles at the end draped around his neck. He is also wearing a traditional black hat with gold embroidery. — Sibukdin, the pinnacle of the Balik tribe, stated historic websites like graveyards present proof of how lengthy his individuals have lived on their land [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]

The federal government has promoted initiatives like coaching programmes for locals as consultant of the advantages the brand new capital growth will supply individuals in East Kalimantan. A few of these embody workshops to show individuals digital expertise or new farming methods.

Al Jazeera met some residents of Sepaku who have been proud contributors in such programmes — they stated these initiatives had modified their lives for the higher.

Sri Sudarwati, whose dad and mom migrated to East Kalimantan within the Nineteen Seventies, participated in coaching to study hydroponic planting methods together with her neighbours. She stated the brand new capital undertaking, and the eye it has dropped at her village, have improved her high quality of life.

“With the brand new capital, they opened up so many coaching alternatives. This hydroponic gardening has helped my household’s earnings rather a lot. My life has completely modified,” she stated. “Earlier than the brand new capital plan, we by no means received any consideration. Individuals didn’t know the place Sepaku was, we have been very backward. I wish to advise different individuals, don’t assume an excessive amount of. Let’s be grateful about Sepaku being a part of the capital.”

Such recommendation is poorly obtained by Balik individuals, together with their chief Sibukdin, who advised Al Jazeera he fears the event will spell catastrophe for his group.

“We don’t wish to be relocated from the land of our ancestors. And we really feel our land will likely be taken by the federal government. They stated this capital is for the welfare of all Indonesians? However which Indonesians? We don’t really feel it’s for us,” he stated. “They will simply erase our rights. Such is the greatness of individuals in authority. We take into account our historic websites to be the supply of our energy. However they even moved the graves of our ancestors. The brand new capital is haunting us, and haunting the way forward for our youngsters too.”