New transmigration ‘paradigm’ in Indonesia: Examples from Kalimantan

Abstract Transmigration from Java to rural areas of the ‘outer islands’ appeared finished in Indonesia after the fall of the Suharto regime in 1998 and decentralisation in 2001. However, the rapid growth of oil palm plantations in the past decade has led to a renewed call for transmigrants by district heads seeking an expanded labour force. A new system has evolved on a district‐to‐district basis with applicants in ‘sending districts’ (in J ava, B ali and the poorer provinces of E ast and W est N usa T enggara) being matched to requests from ‘receiving districts’ (in S umatra, K alimantan, S ulawesi and P apua), which largely depend on levels of plantation investment near proposed new transmigration sites. Coordination is in the hands of a rebranded central M inistry of M anpower and T ransmigration. Integral to the ‘spatial’ organisation of the new transmigration will be the creation of towns or cities, known as K ota T erpadu M andiri (‘Integrated self‐sufficient city’). A new transmigration region (with its oil palm plantations) will form the ‘embryo’ for the city's growth. Although these arrangements will aim to reduce poverty, their social and environmental costs have not been evaluated. Examples of these new schemes in parts of C entral K alimantan are discussed, with brief comparisons of earlier transmigration projects.