<![CDATA[This study analyzes the recognition of the customary rights of the Suku Laut community in the Riau Islands from the perspectives of property law and customary law in order to address the disparity between the constitutional recognition of indigenous peoples and the state’s dominant control over maritime spaces. Such domination has led to the social, economic, and legal marginalization of the Suku Laut community through the loss of communal rights over marine territories that have traditionally constituted their living space. This study aims to strengthen the collective rights of the Suku Laut over coastal and marine areas while promoting the transformation of the national legal system toward ecological justice and legal pluralism. The research employs a normative legal method using statutory and conceptual approaches to examine the integration of property law principles with the communal, ecological, and spiritual values of indigenous communities. The findings demonstrate that the customary civil rights of the Suku Laut are communal, non-territorial, and characterized by socio-ecological functions that differ fundamentally from the concept of individual ownership within the civil law system. The incompatibility between customary law and state law constitutes the primary cause of the marginalization of indigenous maritime rights. This study proposes an ideal normative model for the recognition of indigenous maritime rights through three main pillars: substantive recognition, institutional integration, and legal harmonization. The model positions indigenous peoples as legal subjects possessing sovereignty over their maritime territories rather than merely administrative permit holders. In conclusion, substantive recognition of indigenous maritime rights is essential to achieving ecological and social justice and to developing a national legal system that respects legal pluralism and environmental sustainability within Indonesia’s maritime regions.]]>
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