SUMMARY
Dayak is an umbrella term covering a large number of various related ethnic groups indigenous to the interior of Borneo, both Indonesian Kalimantan and Malaysian Sabah and Sarawak. The Dayaks speak a variety of related Austronesian languages, and are mainly organized around traditional tribal, clan and sub-clan structures. Some Dayak sub-groups are Protestant or Catholic Christian (mainly in Western Kalimantan), while others are devoutly Muslim, especially in Central Kalimantan, where almost all Sampit Dayaks follow Islam. However, despite the different religions, most Dayak tribes continue to follow some traditional beliefs and indigenous honour codes. One such honour-code relates to the traditional dispute resolution mechanism, that allows for fist fights, but not for anything that would cause injuries - if blood is shed, the entire clan is expected to declare war on the perpetrator. Such honour codes have been significant in the escalation of communal violence in the 1990s.
Most Dayaks live in rural areas, being mainly involved in slash-and-burn forestry and agriculture. Throughout the latter part of the 20th century, the Dayaks have been marginalized politically and economically by the central authorities of Indonesia. As such, the Dayak traditional land rights were not recognized by law, with much of their lands being given to various business interests by the Suharto administration. Further, few Dayaks made their way into the Indonesian academia, military or the administration, at either the provincial or national level. Moreover, a vast program of relocating various other communities to Kalimantan from more densely populated areas such as Java or Madura (the Transmigration Program), created further pressure on the Dayaks, as newly arrived immigrants competed with the already present Dayaks for the relatively few resources available. This created substantial resentment within the Dayak communities, targeted against both the state and immigrant communities, such as the Madurese in the 1990s and the Chinese in the 1960s.
There is no over-reaching organization or leadership covering all the Dayaks. Besides the traditional clan leadership, there are various NGOs claiming to represent the Dayak point of view and various Dayak interests, and various Dayak associations and parties with a local or regional coverage. Moreover, various Dayak clans are known to collaborate in conflict, based on traditional honour codes. Further, throughout the 1980s and 1990s, a strengthening of the Dayak identity was noted by various scholars.
The Dayaks have been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence.
