Transmigration program: Encyclopedia II - Transmigration program - Criticism

Transmigration program - Criticism

Indonesia's transmigration program was the target of extensive opposition, particularly from indigenous populations in the regions where transmigrants settled. Some foreign and domestic observers also criticized the program's intentions or implementation.

Many indigenous people saw the program as a part of an effort by the central government on Java to extend greater economic and political control over their region, by moving in people having closer personal ties to Java. This was particularly resented in areas such as Papua that had an active movement to end what was seen as an unwanted military occupation by Indonesia. The government agencies responsible for administering transmigration were often insensitive to local customary (adat) land rights.

Transmigrants were also blamed for accelerating deforestation of sensitive rainforest areas, because of the greatly increased population in formerly sparsely-populated areas. Migrants often moved to entirely new "transmigration villages," constructed in regions that had been relatively unimpacted by human activity.

The program was also not consistently beneficial for the migrants. While they had access to substantially more land than would be possible on their home islands, the soil of most of the outer islands is not nearly as fertile as the volcanic soil of Java and Bali. Despite major government spending—in some years thirty to forty percent of the entire budget for the outer islands—promised investment in transportation, water, and education was lacking.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Criticism", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki