The Ambiguous Authority of Provincial Governors in Customary Law Recognition: Regulatory Fragmentation in Indonesia’s Decentralization Era
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15575/kh.v7i2.46367Keywords:
Decentralization, indigenous law communities, multilevel governance, provincial government, regulatory conflictAbstract
This study aims to analyze the structural, institutional, and regulatory challenges in recognizing Indigenous Law Communities (Masyarakat Hukum Adat/MHA) in Indonesia, with a particular focus on the strategic yet ambiguous role of provincial governments. Despite the legal mandate for decentralization, the dual function of governors as regional heads and central government representatives has not been supported by a clear legal framework to facilitate cross-district recognition of MHA. Using a qualitative approach, the study employs document analysis of legal texts, regional regulations, and case studies, supported by secondary data from institutional reports and scholarly publications. The findings reveal three major issues: first, the absence of a legal mandate for governors to coordinate inter-district recognition processes; second, regulatory conflicts between provincial and district-level authorities, especially when indigenous territories cross administrative boundaries; and thrid the lack of harmonization between regional customary regulations and national laws. These obstacles have resulted in legal uncertainty, fragmented policy implementation, and continued marginalization of indigenous communities. This research contributes to the discourse on multilevel governance by emphasizing the overlooked role of governors in indigenous rights recognition. It also identifies practical entry points for policy reform, such as enhancing judicial review mechanisms, formalizing adat institutions, and improving spatial data integration across ministries. The originality of this study lies in shifting the analytical lens from district-level actors to the provincial level, proposing a coordinated, vertically and horizontally integrated governance framework for sustainable recognition of indigenous communities in Indonesia.
References
A’an. (2024). Masyarakat Adat Kualan Melawan Tuntut Perncabutan Izin PT. Mayawana Persada. Pontianak Post. https://pontianakpost.jawapos.com/features/1465104494/masyarakat-adat-kualan-melawan-tuntut-perncabutan-izin-pt-mayawana-persada
Agung. (2024). Status Pengakuan Wilayah Adat di Indonesia Pada Hari Internasional Masyarakat Adat Sedunia 2024. Badan Registrasi Wilayah Adat (BRWA). https://brwa.or.id/news/read/738
Akbar, M., Permana, M. D., & Rusli, H. (2023). The Progressive Legal Perspective of Legal Justice in Customary Dispute Resolution Related to Natural Resources. Jurnal IUS Kajian Hukum Dan Keadilan, 11(2), 225–236. https://doi.org/10.29303/ius.v11i2.1252
Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara. (2024). Catatan Akhir Tahun 2024 Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara Transisi Kekuasaan & Masa Depan Masyarakat Adat. Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara (AMAN).
April, M., Alkadafi, M., & Said, M. (2023). Hukum Adat dalam Penyelenggaraan Pemerintahan Desa Adat di Kabupaten Siak Provinsi Riau dan Provinsi Bali. Jurnal Hukum IUS QUIA IUSTUM, 30(2), 396–419.
Arifin, F., Astawa, I. G. P., Maarif, I., Sulastri, D., & Abdullah, M. K. (2025). Recognition of Customary Norms Within the Framework of Indonesian Legal Positivism. Khazanah Hukum, 7(1), 92–104. https://doi.org/10.15575/kh.v7i1.39409
Bebbington, A., Dharmawan, L., Fahmi, E., & Guggenheim, S. (2004). Village politics, culture and community-driven development: insights from Indonesia. Progress in Development Studies, 4(3), 187–205.
Buana, M. S. (2020). Development as a threat to indigenous peoples’ rights in Indonesia. International Journal on Minority and Group Rights, 27(3), 442–471.
Budianto, A., & Karo, R. K. (2021). Marapu Customary Law Reconstruction Through The Establishment Of Regional Regulations As An Attempt Of Human Rights Protection Againts The Native Sumba Society. Multicultural Education, 7(1), 195–201. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4767980
Burhanuddin, B., Syufri, S., Asriani, A., Hartawan, H., & Saputra, A. N. (2024). Exploring the role of regional capacity in human resource development in Indonesia. Frontiers in Political Science, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2024.1412098
De Royer, S., Visser, L. E., Galudra, G., Pradhan, U., & Van Noordwijk, M. (2015). Self-identification of indigenous people in post-independence Indonesia: a historical analysis in the context of REDD+. International Forestry Review, 17(3), 282–297.
Dewi, A. A. I. P., Sudarma, M., Djamhuri, A., & Andayani, W. (2024). Cultural Perspectives on Financial Accountability in a Balinese Traditional Village. Open Cultural Studies, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1515/culture-2024-0021
Diab, A. L., Pabbajah, M., Nurina Widyanti, R., Muthalib, L. M., & Fajar Widyatmoko, W. (2022). Accommodation of local wisdom in conflict resolution of Indonesia’s urban society. Cogent Social Sciences, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2022.2153413
Din, B. H., & Wahyudhi, I. (2021). The Need for Breakthrough and Integrated Policy Innovation in Increasing Original Regional Income. Central Asia and the Caucasus, 22(5), 800–815. https://doi.org/10.37178/ca-c.21.5.064
El Falahy, L. (2020). Tarik Ulur Hukum Adat Dan Hukum Islam Dalam Hukum Positif Di Indonesia. Al-Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum Islam, 5(1 May), 89–104.
Ezirigwe, J., & Glazewski, J. (2024). Conducting Socio-Legal Research in a Conflict Area during a Pandemic: Reflections and Lessons for Future Researchers. Journal of African Law, 68(2), 231–244. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021855324000081
Fahmi, C., Stoll, P.-T., Shabarullah, S., Rahman, M., & Syukri, S. (2024). The State’s Business Upon Indigenous Land in Indonesia: A Legacy from Dutch Colonial Regime to Modern Indonesian State. Samarah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga Dan Hukum Islam, 8(3), 1566–1596.
Fauzan, M., Prasojo, H., Ardhanariswari, R., & Elfudllatsani, B. (2025). Balancing Power and Resolving Conflicts in the Collaboration between Regional Heads and DPRD in Indonesia’s Decentralized Governance. E3S Web of Conferences, 609. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202560907004
Fitrianggraeni, S., Fauziah, E. F., & Purnama, S. (2024). Would Ratification of the Singapore Convention on Mediation Enrich Indonesian Mediation Culture? Arbitration: The International Journal of Arbitration, Mediation and Dispute Management, 90(1).
Haridison, A. (2024). Why did the common objective be biased in the execution collaborative governance program? The case from Dayak Indonesia. Land Use Policy, 140, 107050. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2024.107050
Hazra, M. N. (2024). Problematika Penerapan Peraturan Daerah Provinsi Sumater Barat Nomor 7 Tentang Nagari Terhadap Penataan Kesatuan Masyarakat Hukum Adat Nagari. UIN Law Review, 3(1).
Janmyr, M. (2024). Ethnographic approaches and international refugee law. Journal of Refugee Studies, 37(4), 871–885. https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/feac042
Jayantiari, I. G. A. M. R., Rumiartha, I. N. P. B., Arjawa, I. G. P. B. S., Laksana, I. G. N. D., & Indradewi, A. A. S. N. (2025). The Rights of Customary Law Communities to Resources: The Relationship of Coexistence of State Law and Customary Law. Jurnal IUS Kajian Hukum Dan Keadilan, 13(1), 188–198. https://doi.org/10.29303/IUS.V13I1.1329
Jayus, J. A. (2020). Urgency of Legal Indigenous Communities’ Position in Indonesian Constitutional System. Jurnal Media Hukum, 27(1), 79–98. https://doi.org/10.18196/jmh.20200144
Juliana, M. R. (2024). Perjuangkan Hak Tanah, Petani Riau dan Jambi Aksi Long March ke Istana Negara. ProSerang.Com. https://www.proserang.com/news/68914108613/perjuangkan-hak-tanah-petani-riau-dan-jambi-aksi-long-march-ke-istana-negara
Khosla, M., & Tushnet, M. (2022). Courts, constitutionalism, and state capacity: A Preliminary inquiry. The American Journal of Comparative Law, 70(1), 95–138. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcl/avac009
Konsorsium Pembaruan Agraria. (2025). Konflik Tanah Tahun 2024 Naik 21 Persen, Perkebunan Sawit Mendominasi. Konsorsium Pembaruan Agraria. https://www.kpa.or.id/2025/03/25/konflik-tanah-tahun-2024-naik-21-persen-perkebunan-sawit-mendominasi/
Kurczewski, J. (2023). The ethnographic approach. In Law and Society (pp. 66–82). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003460053-6
Lahay, S. (2025). Sulitnya Negara Akui dan Lindungi Masyarakat Adat. HuMa. https://www.huma.or.id/isu-strategis/sulitnya-negara-akui-dan-lindungi-masyarakat-adat
Mahkamah Agung RI. (2016). Laporan Tahunan 2015. Mahkamah Agung RI. https://kepaniteraan.mahkamahagung.go.id/publikasi/laporan-tahunan/1314-laporan-tahunan-2015
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Rizki Jayuska, I Gusti Ayu Ketut Rachmi Handayani, Isharyanto Isharyanto, Ismail Marzuki, Achmad Fawaid
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under  Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).