As the first phase of Indonesia's capital relocation project nears completion, the country is set to celebrate its Independence Day in 2024 for the first time outside of Java Island, marking a significant milestone in its history. The relocation of the capital has garnered international attention, but the concept of relocation is not new to the Indonesian people. Following Indonesia's independence from Dutch colonial rule, the Suharto government encouraged millions of Indonesians to move from the overcrowded islands of Java and Madura to the less populated outer islands under the "PELITA Domestic Migration Program," which continued until the end of the New Order period. The term "outer islands" refers to areas outside of Java and Madura and is often associated with underdevelopment and poverty, carrying a strong negative connotation.
Indonesia does not have a strict household registration system; as long as one is an Indonesian citizen, they can live, work, and study anywhere in the country. Population migration is not a new phenomenon. After colonial rule, President Sukarno emphasized that the new government's primary goal was to relocate 31 million people within the next 35 years. Under this overarching objective, the central government used economic incentives to develop local economies, subsidizing Javanese to cultivate the outer islands. Beneficiaries could receive central government funding to purchase land, and there were also spontaneous migrants not funded by the government, as well as a small number of civil servants or expatriates. In addition to official economic aid, Indonesia sought substantial financial support from international institutions such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to sustain the nearly half-century-long domestic migration program.
During President Suharto's "New Order" period (1966-1998), the migration program reached its peak, with large numbers of people being resettled, mainly to Kalimantan, Sumatra, and West Papua. These domestic migrations led to a significant increase in the population of the outer islands. According to the 2010 Indonesian national census, North Sumatra had about 4.3 million migrants, while the entire island of Kalimantan had 2.6 million migrants and their descendants, indicating the substantial impact on the local population structure. Migrants from Java received housing, food rations, and other subsidies under the name of "national development," while the interests and rights of the local indigenous people were significantly undermined.
These policies often ignored the interests of the local indigenous people during implementation, leading to their marginalization and causing conflicts and resentment between them and the migrants. Critics accused the program of aiming to control and assimilate the indigenous populations of the outer islands. The Dayak people of Kalimantan, who are mainly Christians and animists—a traditional belief system common among many indigenous tribes—faced conflicts with the predominantly Muslim Javanese and Madurese migrants. In 2001, bloody conflicts between Madurese migrants and indigenous Dayak people in West and Central Kalimantan resulted in hundreds of casualties, marking the most severe bloodshed in recent years in Kalimantan.
The domestic migration program of the last century was criticized for accelerating ethnic assimilation. After learning from historical experiences, can Indonesia avoid repeating the unfortunate historical tragedies? As the entire Indonesian population eagerly anticipates the economic benefits and job opportunities brought by the capital relocation, can the establishment of the new capital successfully eliminate the past narrative of "Java-centric" development? Indonesia is currently actively attracting foreign investment and implementing a series of investment promotion measures. Amid the current international tensions, the country faces issues such as cost overruns and project delays. The authorities must handle this matter cautiously, as any asymmetrical development trends could sacrifice the local environment and the interests of the people.
Note: The above represents the author's personal opinion and does not reflect the platform's stance.
