PRIME NEWS POST
The INDONESIAN, (Jakarta) – The Indonesian Customary Council (Majelis Adat Indonesia/MAI) has officially issued a national statement regarding the ongoing ecological disasters and damage to customary areas in West Sumatra, North Sumatra, and Aceh. The firm declaration was delivered by His Royal Highness (DYMM) Sri Paduka Baginda Tuanku Raja Gontar IV Dr. Drs. Syafri Fadillah M, S.E., M.Pd., Al-Hajj (17th Generation King of the Aru Kingdom, North Sumatra) at an MAI Communication Forum attended by kings, sultans, datuks, queens, and customary leaders from across the archipelago on Saturday (December 6, 2025).
In his explanation, DYMM SPB Tuanku Raja Gontar IV emphasized that current environmental damage is not merely an administrative or economic issue – it has struck at the deepest wounds of the archipelago’s customary civilization. “What has been destroyed is not just land and forests, but the dignity, history, and future of customary communities’ descendants. If the government is indifferent, what will collapse is not only nature but also public trust in justice,” stated the legal and economic observer.
He noted that customary lands, sacred forests, rivers, and customary communities’ living spaces are heritage assets that cannot be traded under the pretext of investment. The government, he added, must take the forefront in protecting customary rights as mandated by the constitution.
ADDRESSED DIRECTLY TO PRESIDENT PRABOWO SUBIANTO
MAI has openly submitted a plea and demand for justice to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, calling on the state to be present in a genuine, sovereign manner and take firm action against all parties proven responsible for the damage – both legal corporations that violate laws and illegal mining networks. MAI assesses that the ecological damage has exceeded social, customary, and environmental tolerance limits, causing massive intergenerational losses for customary communities in the three provinces.
MAI READY TO TAKE LEGAL ACTION, FILES Rp100 TRILLION COMPENSATION LAWSUIT
As a constitutional and serious step, MAI has announced its readiness to file a Rp100 trillion compensation lawsuit against parties responsible for the destruction of customary areas. The amount covers damage to customary lands and sacred forests, loss of customary communities’ livelihoods, damage to traditional houses and social infrastructure, as well as long-term ecological impacts threatening future generations. DYMM Raja Gontar IV stressed that compensation is not just about numbers – it is a form of moral, legal, and civilizational responsibility.
MAI reminded all businesses not to treat customary areas as objects of unaccountable exploitation. Development that sacrifices customary communities and destroys cultural structures was described as a form of betrayal of the constitution and the nation’s noble values. The forum also called on academics, environmental activists, religious leaders, and national media to oversee the legal process to ensure it is not overshadowed by political interests or economic oligarchies.
CLOSING STATEMENT BY MAI SECRETARY-GENERAL
MAI Secretary-General M. Rafik Datuk Rajo Kuaso (holder of the Datuak Rajo Kuaso Cumati Koto Piliang Langgam Nan 7 title of the Pagaruyung Kingdom) emphasized that MAI’s struggle is one of safeguarding the nation’s historical and future justice. “This damage is not just an environmental tragedy – it is a civilizational tragedy. If the government does not stand with customary communities today, we are allowing the nation’s roots to be slowly torn out. MAI will be at the forefront of protecting customary lands, upholding dignity, and defending justice,” he stated.
MESSAGE FROM THE SOVEREIGN MONARCH OF THE ARCHIPELAGO
His Royal Highness Sri Paduka Baginda Berdaulat Agung Prof. Dr. M.S.P.A. Iansyah Rechza F.W., Ph.D., Maharaja of Kutai Mulawarman (serving as the Sovereign Monarch of the Archipelago and MAI Founder Council member), told the forum that the struggle to uphold customary justice is not just an organizational agenda – it is a historical call for the nation.
He stated that damage to customary areas stems from the erosion of civilizational values in environmental management, where capital power has overwhelmed the voice of conscience and customary law. “This country stands on customary land, on the wisdom of our ancestors. If that land is destroyed, what will collapse is not just ecosystems but also the nation’s foundations. The state must be a protector, not a bystander,” he emphasized.
DYMM Maharaja of Kutai Mulawarman added that MAI was established as the last bastion of the archipelago’s civilizational dignity, ensuring that kings, sultans, datuks, queens, and all customary leaders do not remain silent when customary peoples’ rights are seized by greed. In his capacity as an MAI Founder Council member, he stressed that all customary elements across the archipelago have a sacred responsibility to restore the dignity of the kingdom’s cultural heritage and customary communities through concrete action.
“Restoring the dignity and honor of the archipelago’s royal cultural heritage means upholding justice for its people. A king without justice is empty, and power without compassion for the weak is a betrayal of our ancestors’ mandate,” he said, adding that MAI will not fear political pressure or capital power because it is fighting for the archipelago’s future generations.
The Indonesian Customary Council (MAI) is a national forum for kings, sultans, datuks, queens, and customary leaders across the archipelago, functioning as a guardian of values, dignity, local wisdom, and the constitutional rights of Indonesia’s customary communities.()
Editorial Note:
Reported by the PRIME NEWS POST correspondent, compiled from various media sources. Photo: documentation / public archive
