Genealogy and the contemporary of “orang rawang”: hidden population mapping on forest and land resource control practices in South Sumatera

Abstract

Abstract The issuance of rights to manage and use forest and land resources by the government to large corporations usually incurs costs for the state and society. One of them is the emergence of hidden populations, namely people who are marginalized and even oppressed by development programs. Using the hidden population mapping method, this study reveals that hidden populations are born from the issuance of management and use rights on land they have relied on for their livelihoods. In this study, Orang Rawang is used as a term to represent a hidden population which the amounts is approximately about 30% of the population of Perigi Village and 35% of the population of Riding Village. The formation of Orang Rawang can be associated with a long-standing social stratification process that can now be identified from assets and survival strategies. Most of them do not have assets in the form of land ownership on mineral lands. Their main livelihood is fishing and collecting wood and non-timber products. Social networking in the community is carried out horizontally by dividing collective space for roaming areas, and vertically by forming patron-clan relationships with the Orang Risan and Orang Sungai.