6 Customary Community Groups In Baliem Valley Finalized and Agreed on Their Boundary Maps

YBAW Director (Right) gave the customary boundary maps the chief of Omarekma Customary Groups.
Photo: Martin Hardino

After a long process of customary boundary mapping facilitated by Yayasan Bina Adat Walesi (YBAW) with supported by Samdhana Institute and Forestry Department of Jayawijaya District, 6 customary community groups received and agreed upon their boundary maps. In front of the head of Planning Agency and representative of a parliament member the elders from Wusilimo, Hubulama, Musalfak, Omarekma, Asudogima and Muliama confirm and request for legal recognition over their land rights. They were then asked for the government to put the pole as a sign of ownership over the land.

In his opening remarks, Mr. John Way (the Head of Dorestry Department Jayawijaya District) said that the main objective of the customary boundary mapping is to solve the land right conflict and document the rights that currently lives in the mind of the elders. The maps will also helps the government to appropriately identifying and planning the program in each region based on specific community needs and inline with the land uses wisdom they have for centuries. For forestry program they were often found a problem with right either on different actor claiming one piece of land until the zoning conflict between the way how community acknowledge the function of land uses and the legal delineation the government made. Most of the rehabilitation program for instance are often ended without a continuity guaranty from the community because it comes note based on their needs and not in the rights places. So he expected that during mapping community can then thinking on what would they do with their customary land and how it connects to the currents forests and land use development needs.

While the Head of Planning Agency in his speech expressed the efforts that YBAW, Forestry Department and Communities did. Government is positively welcoming the maps and expects to see how the maps could then help them to re-governing the border of sub-districts. Particularly because the history of confederation war in the valley are remain influence the development - they're often find this now in the sub-districts that administratively covers two different groups with a war history in the past. He is also requested all the leader to take an advance steps to control the land trading that increasing in the valley. Community should able to keeps their land and trying to find a best and benefits option to manage it.

As addition YBAW presented the progress and plan they will do to finalize the rests customary boundary maps in Baliem Valley. There are about 27 groups of customary confederation in Balliem valley and 15 of them have mapped their boundary while 6 of which are now be agreed. YBAW with supports from Samdhana Institute and Forestry Department is planning to finalize all the groups boundary maps then push them for legal recognition, land uses planning and administratively re-justifying the sub-district and district boundary based on customary rights.  

The elders reviewed the maps for clarification and final approval in the Forestry office. Photo: Martin Hardiono