This article 'Nasib nomad laut: Gamang di laut, tumbang di darat' (in Indonesian) examines the escalating marginalization of Indonesia's sea nomadic communities, the Sama-Bajau and Orang Laut. 

Abstract

Through fieldwork conducted across Southeast Sulawesi, Riau Islands, and East Kalimantan Province in 2023-2024, this research documents the devastating impacts of coastal development and marine exploitation in the umbrella of coastal and marine grabbing. Despite their deep-rooted dependence on the sea, they face displacement, resource conflicts, and multidimensional marginalization.

Utilizing case studies of Sama-Bajau with nickel mining in Kabaena Island (Southeast Sulawesi), Orang Laut with sand mining in Lengkok and Kojong Island (Riau Islands Province), Orang Laut with relocation due to National Strategic Project in Tanjung Sauh Island (Riau Islands Province), and Sama-Bajau with conservation and transboundary fishing in Derawan Islands (East Kalimantan), this research highlights the disconnect between state-driven development agendas and the lived realities of sea nomad communities. Exploitative practices, including unregulated mining and restrictive conservation policies, lead to environmental degradation, cultural erosion, and the disruption of traditional livelihoods.

This research argues that the sea nomads experience multilevel marginalization, characterized by reduced resource access, legal disenfranchisement, exclusion from decision-making, and societal stigmatization. The findings expose the inherent tension between modernization and the preservation of sea nomadic culture, advocating for a holistic approach that prioritizes community rights, participation, and sustainable resource management to avert the cultural genocide of these unique maritime communities.

Author

Wengki Ariando

13-03-2025

Read more (in Indonesian)