The Invention of Borders and the Criminalisation of Movement The sea, once a free and open space for Indigenous ocean-based nomads, has been systematically compartmentalised and policed, particularly after the end of World War II. This transformation is not merely a geopolitical shift but a profound alteration in how space, movement, and identity are conceived….
From the Forest to the Frontline: Why Indonesia’s Indigenous Peoples Must Lead
The Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN) was founded in Jakarta, 17th March 1999. The date also marked the first Indigenous Peoples Awakening Day which now being commemorated annually. My tribe is member of this organisation. I have walked the dirt paths of many Indigenous villages in Indonesia. I have sat cross-legged inside the…
Centering Indigenous Rights in the Energy Transition
This is the speech I delivered during the Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Global Assembly 2025 in Jakarta, Indonesia, 17-21 February 2025. When I received the invitation couple months back, I realised that this event could be a platform for me to echo the elephant in the room: uncomfortable topics which many has been avoiding….