VILLAGE LAW IN THE STRUGGLE OF INDONESIAN LEGAL POLICY

This article examines the legal politics of the Village Law in Indonesia and the role of villages as autonomous entities in the government system. The Village Law provides independence for villages to regulate their affairs based on their rights of origin and customs. However, its implementation faces challenges, where villages often become elite political tools in elections without paying attention to the aspirations of their people. Although the Village Law emphasises decentralisation, the practice still shows the disparity of power between the central, regional, and village governments. Political mobilisation in villages is often more orientated to the interests of the elite than to the empowerment of the community. In addition, recognition of customary rights and village autonomy is still partial, depending on local and national political dynamics. The implemented policy emphasises more administrative aspects with a top-down approach, which limits the active role of villages in determining their own policies. History shows that villages are not just administrative units but have complex social and political structures, which are often not fully accommodated in state regulations. This study emphasises the importance of strengthening more substantial decentralisation so that villages truly have independence in governance. The recognition of customary rights and village autonomy needs to be integrated into more participatory and democratic policies. Policy reform must balance decentralisation with accountability so that villages can become subjects in legal politics, not just the object of state policy. Thus, villages can further contribute to maintaining social stability, strengthening local democracy, and encouraging community-based economic growth. Abstrak: Artikel ini mengkaji politik hukum Undang-Undang Desa di Indonesia serta peran desa sebagai entitas otonom dalam sistem pemerintahan. UU Desa memberikan kemandirian bagi desa untuk mengatur urusannya berdasarkan hak asal dan adat istiadat. Namun, implementasinya menghadapi tantangan, di mana desa sering menjadi alat politik elit dalam pemilu tanpa memperhatikan aspirasi masyarakatnya. Meskipun UU Desa menekankan desentralisasi, praktiknya masih memperlihatkan ketimpangan kekuasaan antara pemerintah pusat, daerah, dan desa. Mobilisasi politik di desa seringkali lebih berorientasi pada kepentingan elite daripada pemberdayaan masyarakat. Selain itu, pengakuan terhadap hak adat dan otonomi desa masih bersifat parsial, bergantung pada dinamika politik lokal dan national. Kebijakan yang diterapkan lebih menekankan aspek administratif dengan pendekatan top-down, yang membatasi peran aktif desa dalam menentukan kebijakan sendiri. Sejarah menunjukkan bahwa desa bukan sekadar unit administratif, tetapi memiliki struktur sosial dan politik yang kompleks, yang sering tidak sepenuhnya diakomodasi dalam regulasi negara. Studi ini menekankan pentingnya penguatan desentralisasi yang lebih substansial agar desa benar-benar memiliki kemandirian dalam tata kelola. Pengakuan hak adat dan otonomi desa perlu diintegrasikan dalam kebijakan yang lebih partisipatif dan demokratis. Reformasi kebijakan harus menyeimbangkan desentralisasi dengan akuntabilitas agar desa dapat menjadi subjek dalam politik hukum, bukan sekadar objek kebijakan negara. Dengan demikian, desa dapat lebih berkontribusi dalam menjaga stabilitas sosial, memperkuat demokrasi lokal, serta mendorong pertumbuhan ekonomi berbasis komunitas. Kata Kunci: Politik Hukum, Otonomi Desa, Desentralisasi, Hak Adat, Demokrasi Lokal