Legal Protection for Indigenous Communities in the Merauke Regency: Land Grabbing and Resource Exploitation

Abstract

Introduction: Indigenous communities in Merauke Regency, Papua, face increasing threats to their land and resources from large corporations engaged in land grabbing and resource exploitation. Legal protections for these communities remain weak, and indigenous people often lack the means to defend their rights.
Purpose: This paper examines how legal services are supporting indigenous communities in Merauke Regency in their struggle against land grabbing and resource exploitation, focusing on the role of community legal services in providing legal protection and advocacy.
Method: The study combines interviews with indigenous leaders, legal professionals, and activists, alongside an analysis of legal cases and land dispute records in the region.
Findings and Results: The research finds that while legal services have helped indigenous communities challenge land grabs in court, the lack of strong enforcement mechanisms and political will hinders the long-term effectiveness of these interventions.
Urgency: With ongoing threats to land rights, there is an urgent need to ensure that indigenous communities have access to legal services that can effectively combat land grabbing and secure their ancestral land rights.
Contribution: This paper highlights the challenges faced by indigenous communities in protecting their land rights and suggests strategies for improving legal protections for these vulnerable groups.
Recommendation: The study recommends strengthening legal frameworks for land rights, improving access to legal aid, and fostering greater political will to enforce laws protecting indigenous land.