The ‘londo ireng’ state: How Indonesia betrays its indigenous peoples
Modern colonialism no longer arrives in wooden warships or under foreign flags. It sits in executive offices, speaks the national language and cloaks itself in the slick rhetoric of "national development."
The Indonesian state has long betrayed its indigenous peoples, a painful truth rooted in the colonial era. The term "londo ireng," which once referred to West African mercenaries and local collaborators, now carries a bitter sting. This label, akin to being a countryman in native skin but wielding the oppressor's whip, is reserved for those who betray their own communities.
Recently, the phrase resurfaced when it was weaponized by Prabowo Subianto to label journalists, critics, and observers as foreign proxies, a racially charged and divisive move. Ironically, the Indonesian state itself embodies the essence of londo ireng, as it suppresses the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Bill while systematically denying customary land to indigenous communities.
Mapping by civil society and the Ancestral Domain Registration Agency (BRWA) reveals that indigenous communities across Indonesia have identified over 36.4 million hectares of ancestral territory. This internal colonization, marked by political leaders acting as internal colonizers, is glaringly evident.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
