On February 20, 2018, the Yogyakarta District Court decided to decline the lawsuit filed by one Handoko, a lawyer and an Indonesian of Chinese descent. The lawsuit was filed to question the legal power of discretion, namely the Instructions of the Deputy Regional Head of the Special Region of Yogyakarta No. K.898/I/A/1975 which bars Non-Native Citizens (Non-Pribumi) from owning land in Yogyakarta. This is the third disappointing decision after the Supreme Court and the State Administrative Court previously declined to examine the lawsuit. The district court’s decision provide no explanation on why such discretion should be obeyed even though the State already has a variety of regulations on land ownership, and such instructions do not have a place in the hierarchy of legislation.To subscribe please click here
