I want my children to be free’: How slavery endures on Indonesia’s island of Sumba – Malay Mail

Modern slavery persists on the island of Sumba, Indonesia, where vulnerable individuals are forced into unpaid labor through debt bondage and traditional social hierarchies, according to reporting by Agence France-Presse (AFP). Victims are often coerced into working for powerful landowners or “nobles,” with some families trapped in cycles of servitude spanning multiple generations.

The practice is deeply embedded in the island’s social fabric and the Marapu indigenous belief system, which emphasizes ancestral loyalty and social status. Human Rights Watch has documented these conditions, noting that the lack of state intervention allows these exploitative structures to endure despite national laws banning slavery.

Kanisius Kanyali Hambarita, a local advocate and former victim of these systems, describes the psychological and physical toll on those trapped in bondage. He reports that children are often born into these roles, inheriting the “debts” of their parents, which effectively ensures a permanent labor class for the island’s elite.

According to AFP, the mechanism of control often begins with a small loan or a “favor” granted by a wealthy landowner to a poor family during a crisis, such as a funeral or illness. This debt is then manipulated to justify years of unpaid labor, as the interest and perceived social obligations make the debt impossible to repay.

The servitude typically involves grueling agricultural work, including tending to livestock and maintaining estates. Victims are frequently denied wages, education, and the freedom to leave the land. The social pressure to adhere to Marapu traditions further complicates escape, as defying a “noble” can be viewed as a spiritual or community transgression.

Human Rights Watch emphasizes that the Indonesian government has failed to implement sufficient protections or enforcement mechanisms on Sumba. The organization points to a gap between Jakarta’s legal frameworks and the reality of rural governance, where local customary laws often supersede national human rights standards.

The impact on children is a primary concern for advocates. Because the status of “servant” is often passed down, children are denied the opportunity to attend school, which prevents them from gaining the skills necessary to secure independent employment. This creates a self-perpetuating cycle of poverty and dependence.

Kanisius Kanyali Hambarita has worked to challenge these norms by helping victims recognize their rights and providing pathways to freedom. He advocates for the total dismantling of the debt-bondage system to ensure the next generation is not born into servitude.

The situation on Sumba reflects a broader challenge in Indonesia, where the intersection of indigenous customs and extreme economic inequality can lead to severe human rights abuses. While the state officially prohibits slavery, the persistence of these practices suggests a lack of political will to disrupt the power dynamics of the island’s land-owning class.

Current efforts to combat the practice rely heavily on non-governmental organizations and grassroots activists. These groups focus on legal literacy and providing economic alternatives to those who have spent their lives in bondage, though they face significant opposition from the traditional power structures on the island.

The core of the struggle for freedom on Sumba remains the conflict between the Marapu-driven social hierarchy and the universal right to liberty. For those like Hambarita, the goal is a fundamental shift in the island’s social contract where kinship and tradition are no longer used as tools for exploitation.