Beyond the Promises
For two decades, the indigenous communities of Pasaman struggled in vain to legally claim their rights to their ancestral lands, managed today by plantation companies. They finally took their case to court.
May 23, 2012
A white-bearded man made his way into a room at the West Pasaman District Court, located some 200 kilometers from the city of Padang in West Sumatra. Moving quietly among the dozens of people packing the room, he found that he could not stand for long. His frailty was evident as he reached for the nearest empty chair at the courtroom.
Tuanku Makmur, 71, hoped the courts judges would rule in his favor. This is his 22nd year of fighting on behalf o
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