A Juridical Analysis of the Rights of Indigenous Communities and Religious Minorities in National Law
Keywords:
Indigenous Communities, Religious Minorities, Legal Pluralism, Constitutional Rights, National LawAbstract
Indonesia’s constitutional framework guarantees both national unity and cultural and religious diversity, creating an unresolved juridical tension regarding the rights of indigenous law communities (masyarakat hukum adat) and religious minorities. This article examines how national law recognizes, protects, and limits these rights, addressing why implementation falls short of constitutional promises. Utilizing normative juridical research with statutory, conceptual, and case approaches, the study analyzes primary legal sources including the 1945 Constitution, sectoral laws, and landmark Constitutional Court rulings alongside accredited legal literature. The discussion centers on three key areas: the statutory framework governing customary land rights following Constitutional Court Decision No. 35/PUU-X/2012; administrative gaps hindering formal guarantees of religious freedom; and the structural challenges of legal pluralism among state, adat, and religious law. The study finds that legal recognition in Indonesia remains conditional, highly fragmented across sectoral legislation, and subject to local political will, thereby perpetuating systemic legal uncertainty. It concludes that enacting a dedicated, overarching harmonizing statute, coupled with consistent regional implementing regulations, is indispensable to bridge the divide between formal constitutional recognition and substantive legal protection for indigenous and minority groups.
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