Four researchers of the Centre for Human Rights, Multiculturalism, and Migration (CHRM2) visited Kinipan, a village in Central Kalimantan as part of one year research project funded by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). Al Khanif, Dien Vidia Rosa, Hery Prasetyo and Bahjah Ayu Bakta stayed four days to explore the forest, river, food, hospitality, and culture of Kinipan. Laman Kinipan or Kinipan Village has 200 indigenous families who have depended highly on forest as their food resources and economic needs. People of Kinipan has been known by outsiders from their courage to fight against illegal logging and deforestation by palm oil corporations which destroyed thousands of hectares of their forest. This massive deforestation will be very likely affecting the sustainability of Kinipan life in the future.
During the visit, researchers met several elderlies of Kinipan such as Mantir Adat of Kinipan, community leader of Kinipan, Head of Village, farmers and hunters who usually go to forest as their daily life. They also met women of Kinipan to know their participation during the conflict between people of Kinipan and the palm oil companies between 2018 – 2020. To enrich the data, researchers also met members of parliament of Lamandau Local Parliament to know their responses about Kinipan and got information from the parliament members that Lamandau District will enact a bylaw on the protection of indigenous people. Some substances of the law protect the communal forests of indigenous people and propose a solution of the conflict between indigenous people and outsiders through the customary law mechanism.
The outcome of this research is expected to be completed by the end of 2023 and will be submitted in the journal.
