Slavery Persists on Indonesian Island of Sumba Despite 160-Year Ban

Slavery continues on the Indonesian island of Sumba, where individuals are born into bondage and perform unpaid labor from dawn to dusk. South China Morning Post reported that those in bondage are passed on through marriage and are sometimes beaten or raped by masters.

The practice persists in the island’s rigid caste system, especially in the east, despite slavery having been illegal in what is now Indonesia for more than 160 years.

He and his master, Umbu Ana Rara, age 31, live in the village of Tenggedu. Umbu Ana Rara said he treats his slave “like a member of the family” while the two sat chewing betel nuts in the late morning heat amid wandering chickens and geese. Tenggedu lies two hours from Bali’s tourist beaches and is reached by a rocky road through arid hills where travelers must avoid stray livestock.

The village has no mobile phone signal and relies on wood fires for cooking.