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Abstract

This paper examines the reasons and consequences of a lacking birth-registration in Indonesia, as well as the mechanisms to ‘fix’ it. In order to avoid the legal and social consequences of the lack of registration, creative and ad-hoc solutions are crafted – not only by the individual families who face the problem, but also by their community, including local and state actors who are involved in the mechanisms and paperwork. These mechanisms exist also because of state’s reluctance to enforce regulation related to unregistered marriage and children born into unregistered marriage as these matters are religiously and culturally delicate. We argue that the state facilitates all types of unregistered marriages, which results in blurring legal parameters of marriage. This leads unregistered children to be living in a legal limbo: their legal status and attached rights remain unclear, not being fully ensured of their rights to public services, inheritance, and child maintenance.

Bahasa Abstract

Artikel ini mendiskusikan alasan dan konsekuensi kurangnya akta kelahiran di Indonesia, serta mekanisme untuk 'memperbaiki' kondisi ini. Solusi kreatif maupun ad-hoc dirancang untuk menghindari konsekuensi hukum dan sosial dari tidak dilakukannya pendaftaran, tidak hanya oleh keluarga individu yang menghadapi masalah, tetapi juga oleh komunitas mereka, termasuk aparat di tingkat lokal maupun pusat yang terlibat dalam mekanisme dan penerbitan dokumennya. Berbagai mekanisme ini muncul juga sebagai akibat dari keengganan negara untuk menegakkan peraturan terkait perkawinan tidak terdaftar dan anak yang lahir dari perkawinan dimaksud karena sensitivitas persoalan tersebut dari sisi agama dan budaya. Kami berpendapat bahwa negara kemudian memfasilitasi berbagai bentuk perkawinan tidak terdaftar, sehingga mengaburkan parameter hukum mengenai perkawinan di Indonesia. Hal ini menyebabkan anak-anak yang tidak terdaftar hidup dalam ketidakpastian hukum: tidak jelasnya status dan hak-hak hukum mereka, tidak sepenuhnya dijamin haknya atas pelayanan publik, hak untuk mewaris, dan mendapatkan nafkah.

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