An extensive study by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has found that the absence of formal recognition by the State with regard to indigenous communities and their customary lands remains the root cause of customary land disputes, a problem that has seen a surge over the past few decades.

According to the Komnas HAM national inquiry results…the absence of state recognition counts among the five root causes of human rights violations against indigenous communities throughout the archipelago.

Other root causes behind indigenous rights violations include a state development agenda that is strongly biased toward economic growth and the dismissal of indigenous communities' rights as a mere issue of legality and administration…