Indigenous Indonesian community wants government to cut their internet connection: “negative impact on mental health” | Abroad

The community has about 26,000 souls and lives in the province of Banten, on the island of Java. However, the group is divided: one part has embraced new technologies but another part still rejects any form of modern life. The latter group has now asked the authorities to cut internet coverage in the region and to turn nearby telecom antennas in the opposite direction so that their signals no longer reach the community. According to them, these telecom antennas threaten their way of life and the mental health of young people who are inclined to use the internet.

The leadership of Lebak district, Banten province, confirmed that they have received the letter and will meet with the Indonesian Ministry of Information to see how to respond to the question. “We mainly want to adapt to what the Baduy ask for, and we have to ensure that their traditions and local roots are preserved,” said Budi Santoso, a Lebak representative.

The peripheral population of the Baduy community, who run online businesses, needed the internet, but according to Santoso, authorities fear that visitors or tourists will access the network and spread content they deem inappropriate for their use.

The issue of free access to the internet is controversial in Indonesia, a conservative Muslim-majority country. The government has banned gambling and pornography and requires internet providers to filter out content they deem inappropriate. Despite the censorship, the number of websites that distribute such content is very large.

The Baduy are also sometimes referred to as the Amish of Asia by Western media. They live in the center of the country and chose a life in the forest. They reject technology, money and traditional education. They reside in three villages in an area of ​​4,000 hectares, several hours away from the capital Jakarta.