Banjarmasin-Exploitation of natural resources in South Kalimantan was not only threatens forest and farmland. Land owned by indigenous peoples in this province is also facing the threat of annexation of land by entrepreneurs natural resource managers.

Based on observations Walhi South Kalimantan, there are at least two indigenous lands, which until now endangered. The reason is, there are two regional plans will be converted into land mines.

Walhi Campaign Manager South Kalimantan, Dwitho Frasetiandy revealed, there is one of the Dayak Dayak tribes in district Balangan Pitap that customary land is threatened by a plan of iron ore exploitation. It is estimated, will be annexed exploitation of indigenous land area of ​​200 hectares.

"The plan will go to the iron ore mining in 2011, but until now there has been no definite information about the mine," said the man who is familiarly called Andi.

Not only Pitap Dayak customary land, Dayak customary land in the District of the Upper Middle River, precisely at Kambar Stone reportedly also threatened by the exploitation of iron ore.

"This is not a trivial matter, although no data are deprived of indigenous lands for mining but still there was a threat," said Andi.

Andi explained, the position of indigenous customary land or area is quite weak. When referring to the Law Number 41 Year 1999 regarding Forestry stated that it recognized the existence of indigenous peoples. But for the indigenous areas, the law does not set it.

"The assumption is all the forests in Indonesia is a state forest so they do not care there is indigenous or not," said Andi.

In addition to the region do not recognize customary law is also a very difficult set of criteria be met for a community can be called indigenous peoples.

"In South Kalimantan all indigenous people do not enter criteria so there are no indigenous peoples in South Kalimantan according to the law. Though clearly Dayak Meratus and implement an indigenous tradition. I think this needs to the attention of all circles, "said Andi.