Reconstructing Legal Protection of Mining-Affected Communities’ Rights through Participatory Justice in Indonesia

Riezka Eka Mayasari; Syamsul Bachri; Muhammad Basri; Nizamuddin Alias

doi:10.15294/jllr.v7i3.53936

Authors

Riezka Eka Mayasari Faculty of Law, Universitas Sembilanbelas November Kolaka, Kolaka, Indonesia Author https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1779-8740
Syamsul Bachri Faculty of Law, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia Author
Muhammad Basri Faculty of Law, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia Author https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3276-764X
Nizamuddin Alias Faculty of Law, Universitas Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2627-9631

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15294/jllr.v7i3.53936

Keywords:

Legal Protection, Mining-Affected Communities, Participatory Justice, Mining Governance, Community Rights

Abstract

Mining activities in Indonesia have contributed significantly to economic development, but have also generated adverse impacts on communities living in mining-affected areas. The existing legal framework predominantly emphasizes compensation for losses while providing limited protection of community rights through meaningful participation in mining governance. This study aims to reconstruct the legal protection of mining-affected communities’ rights through a participatory justice approach within Indonesia’s mining governance system. The main problem addressed in this research is the inadequacy of current regulations in ensuring substantive and procedural rights for communities affected by mining operations. This research employs a normative legal method, drawing on statutory, conceptual, and comparative approaches, to analyze mining regulations, legal doctrines, and relevant governance principles. The findings reveal that current regulations tend to position mining-affected communities as beneficiaries of compensation rather than as rights holders with the capacity to participate in decision-making processes. As a result, community involvement remains limited, legal protection is fragmented, and social conflicts frequently arise due to unequal power relations between mining companies and local communities. The study further finds that the absence of effective mechanisms for participation, transparency, accountability, and equitable benefit-sharing weakens the realization of justice in mining governance. This research concludes that the reconstruction of legal protection should be based on participatory justice by strengthening community participation, recognizing both substantive and procedural rights, and establishing inclusive governance mechanisms. Such reconstruction is expected to enhance legal certainty, reduce conflicts, and promote a more equitable and sustainable mining governance system in Indonesia.

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