Jakarta, IO – The Head of the Indigenous Peoples Initiative (IMA), Nukila Evanty, is deeply involved in advocacy campaigns to protect the rights of indigenous peoples. According to Nukila, who recently represented Indonesia’s indigenous peoples at the United Nations (UN) Permanent Forum on Indigenous People’s Initiative at UN New York in April 2023, the greatest concerns confronting humanity today are development, climate change, deforestation, and biodiversity loss from massive forest clearing and extractive industries such as mining.
“They have exerted disproportionate impacts and affect the most vulnerable and socially marginalized populations. Indigenous peoples are the first to face the direct impact of climate change on their ecosystems or homes, as they are heavily reliant on nature and are closely connected to the environment and its resources. Temperature-related diseases such as dengue fever, malaria, chikungunya and filariasis.
Not to mention waterborne diseases due to polluted water and prolonged drought. Drying land becomes increasingly arid, leading to forest and peatland fires and forest loss. Excessive rainfall harms pastures, nurseries and other crops. Rising rivers and drying rivers, coastal erosion with rising sea levels affecting the indigenous peoples’ livelihoods, the emergence of new types of insects and endemic insects which exacerbate food insecurity and ultimately affect our country’s economy,” explained Nukila to the Independent Observer, July 16, 2023.
Nukila sees that more and more indigenous peoples are being forced to migrate and are seeking refuge as a result of the increased frequency and intensity of climate hazards. Hurricanes and floods destroy the land and property of indigenous peoples. The rights of the indigenous peoples are violated by both legal and illegal land grabbing for plantation clearing, road and bridge construction, airports and villages.
Moreover, new district development, the construction of the national capital and the implementation of climate change mitigation projects such as carbon sinks and energy projects have also affected the indigenous people’s lives.
How does she perceive the development of Nusantara, our new national capital, and its potential impact on indigenous people?
In early 2022, the Government and the House of Representatives agreed on and ratified the legal framework for determining the transfer of the National Capital. The Law No. 3 of 2022 concerning the National Capital (IKN) was finally legalized to transfer the capital city of Jakarta to New National Capital City (IKN) Nusantara, which is in Kutai Kartanegara Regency and North Penajam Pasar Regency.
“In March 2023, the local indigenous people refused to be relocated by the government and resisted eviction or destruction of historical sites, cemeteries, or other Balik Tribe historical places. They also rejected the government plan to rename their village and river. These people have inhabited the place for generations. They do not accept any figures or groups who speak on behalf of the Balik tribe who agree to the IKN matters without involving the indigenous community. According to the indigenous people, the government never even invited them to communicate about IKN,” said Nukila.
