A Two-Hour Flight from Bali’s Beaches, a Caste System of Slavery Endures

On the Indonesian island of Sumba, a short flight from the tourist beaches of Bali, a hereditary system of slavery binds men and women from birth to death. Known as ‘ata’, these individuals work without pay, are subject to violence — including sexual assault — and pass their unfree status to their children. The practice, documented in a new report by Agence France-Presse (AFP), reveals a social stratification that has survived centuries of outside rule and formal abolition.

The AFP spoke to Kanisius Kanyali Hambarita, a 34-year-old slave to Umbu Ana Rara, a landowner three years his junior. Kanisius described his life as unopposed tradition: “It is not a burden. It is merely a symbol of a tradition inherited from our ancestors.” His master treats him as “a member of the family,” allowing him to earn money as a motorbike taxi and tend a plot of land, but he cannot alter his inherited station.

Sumba’s society is divided into three castes: the noble ‘maramba’, commoners ‘kabihu’, and the enslaved ‘ata’. The system is unique even within Indonesia, where temporary debt servitude exists elsewhere. Historians trace its roots to the 16th century, when Portuguese and Dutch traders sought sandalwood and slaves. Slavery was officially abolished under Dutch rule in 1860, yet the island’s isolation and the animist ‘marapu’ religion preserved the rigid hierarchy.

Estimates range from 1,700 to several thousand enslaved people today, concentrated in East Sumba. While the Indonesian Constitution forbids slavery and the penal code criminalizes unlawful imprisonment, national law also recognises customary law, allowing the practice to continue. Justice and Human Rights Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra told AFP the government intends to accompany gradual social development rather than impose abrupt change. Rights groups, including Amnesty International Indonesia, say authorities have taken no concrete steps to eliminate the system.

Why Modern Indonesia Has Failed to Eradicate the ‘Ata’ System

The Roots of Sumba’s Caste System and Why It Persists

Unlike temporary debt bondage found among the Dayak of Kalimantan, Sumba’s slavery is a permanent, inherited condition tied to a rigid caste structure. The ‘marapu’ faith, which blends ancestor worship and spirit belief, provides a mythological foundation: oral legend says the nobles obtained slaves upon arriving at the island. This cosmology, combined with the island’s long geographical isolation from central Javanese authority, has enabled the practice to survive even as the rest of Indonesia modernised. The absence of mobile networks in some areas, reliance on subsistence farming, and the economic centrality of land, livestock and horse-racing reinforce the master-slave relationship.

Indonesia’s Legal Contradiction and Government Inaction

Indonesia formally outlaws slavery in its 1945 Constitution and penal code. Yet the country’s plural legal system explicitly recognises customary (adat) law, creating a legal grey zone that shields the ‘ata’ system. Minister Mahendra’s comments to AFP acknowledge that ethnic groups develop at different paces and that the government prefers gradual change — a stance that effectively tolerates ongoing enslavement. The founder of the NGO Solidarity for Women and Children of Sumba, Martha Hebi, notes that violence often goes unpunished because victims fear testifying. This legal impasse leaves mostly Christian, rural communities trapped between traditional hierarchy and modern human rights standards.

Implications for Human Rights Monitoring and International Reputation

For human rights organisations, Sumba presents a stark example of contemporary chattel slavery in a G20 economy. An Amnesty International spokesperson stated the government is aware of the situation but has taken no measures to eliminate it. The existence of a hereditary slave class just two hours from Bali’s international tourism hub could, if widely publicised, pressure Jakarta to act — or risk reputational damage. No multinational supply chains are directly implicated in the AFP report, but the island’s livestock and horse exports could eventually draw scrutiny from importing countries with modern slavery legislation.