The Indonesian village that wants to cut off the internet

Secluded Baduy Dalam shuns money, technology and formal education and now wants to protect the morals of its younger generation from the web

Four hours’ drive from the hustle and bustle of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, lies the secluded community of Baduy Dalam, where the trapping of modern life are shunned. The Baduy Dalam people reject money, technology and formal education, and limits tourists – banning any visitors from documenting their life. Now the tribe wants to go one step further, by cutting off the internet.

Officials in Indonesia are considering a request from the group for an internet blackout, after they cited concerns over negative impacts on tribe members.

The Baduy community in Lebak, Banten province, is made up of two groups, Baduy Dalam and Baduy Luar, totalling about 26,000 people.

Baduy Luar people have adopted contemporary ways of living, with some relying on the internet to attract tourists and promote their handcrafts.

But a letter from representatives of Baduy Dalam, dated from June and shown to the Guardian by a local official, requests that the authorities remove or divert internet signals supplied by surrounding towers. Baduy Dalam representatives also asked that officials limit, reduce or close down applications that can affect the young generation’s morals.

“The existence of phones/smartphones that can be owned by everyone, including Baduy people, is considered to result in the declining morals of our generation that can access non-educating applications and contents,” the letter reads.

Lebak official Anik Sakinah said that her office had forwarded the request to Indonesia’s ministry of communications and information.

Ministry official Usman Kansong said his office had coordinated with several internet providers operating towers around Baduy Dalam, which were currently conducting field surveys. He also noted concerns of tourists using the internet in the area.

“It’s technically feasible, obviously with some treatments such as moving the towers or reducing the signal capacity. We’re still waiting for survey results on what can be done next,” Usman said.

Steve Saerang, representing one of the providers, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, said it supported the Baduy people’s cultural preservation but believed the internet had positive impacts on the economy. He added that the company had run a field survey but refused to comment further.

Sarpin, a Baduy Luar village official and tour guide, said that while he agreed with Baduy Dalam’s request to preserve its tradition, it should not affect the adjacent Baduy Luar and other villages. As well as businesses and tourism, Sarpin said, essential government services relied on the internet.

“We are requesting better internet signals. Some areas still don’t have access to the internet. It’s becoming more important for us,” he said by phone.

While the world’s largest archipelago has enjoyed rising internet penetration, reaching almost 80% of its 275 million people, an urban-rural divide persists when it comes to access to the web.

Endroyono, an information technology and communications expert from Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, said that technically, operators could easily limit access in certain areas. But he suggested that the government also provide education on the positive use of the internet along Baduy Dalam borders to help younger generations cope with the changing world.

“Digital divide should be addressed by the government through socio-cultural approaches. Whether we realise it or not, every citizen should benefit from technological advancement and should be protected from its negative excesses,” he said.

Dubbed the Amish of Asia, Baduy people inhabit a 5,000ha area, over half of which is protected forest.

There are more than 2,000 Indigenous groups with dozens of millions of members in Indonesia, according to the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago, and while they have a big role in nature conservation, they are subject to discrimination and human rights violations, especially in land conflicts.

A bill on the recognition and protection of Indigenous people’s rights has stalled since 2012, depriving them of legal certainty, which activists say is fuelled by conflicted business interests.

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