poor people lack jobs
and have no farming
skills which is the
main job provider in
rural areas
average earnings were
higher in rural Java than
any resettlement island
Environmental
Rainforests destroyed
"transmigration villages" built on land never previously affected by human activity
natural resources used up
soil in new land not as useful for growing crops as volcanic soils of Java
Social
fighting between migrants
communal clashes between different ethnic groups
quality of life of migrants not improved
poverty and overpopulation
in Java not reduced
fears from native populations of
"Javanization" and "Islamization",
strengthens separatist movements
Policy
People were to be moved from overcrowded, densely
populated Indonesian islands e.g. Java and Bali to sparsely
populated areas e.g. Sulawesi and Malaysia
Initiative of Dutch
colonial government
Later continued
by Indonesian
Government
Future
Policy has been quietly dropped
Reasons
overcrowding
strain on resources
in Java there are more than 600 people per sq km
In Malaysia there are less than 10 people per sq km
3million people added to Java's population each year
Squatter settlements in Java grow by 100,000+ people each year