A city for just the elites? Why some locals are feeling left out of Indonesia’s new capital Nusantara

CNA was unable to verify how the cracks occurred, but Mr Subroto claimed that the construction nearby has affected his home.

According to him, other villagers have had the same experience. Mr Subroto said he has sought compensation from the highway project’s management, but has not received any.

Apart from villagers, some local journalists in East Kalimantan say they have been kept out of the loop on Nusantara-related news.

When Nusantara was first announced, a veteran journalist from Balikpapan said he was enthusiastic about reporting on the project.

He also welcomed the prospect of better hospitals and schools, which would benefit residents. 

But the excitement has slowly faded. The journalist, who asked to be unnamed, said he has faced problems reporting on Nusantara. 

His queries to the IKN authorities are often unanswered, and local journalists are often not told about events related to Nusantara, he said.

For example, his questions on how local journalists could cover the Aug 17 Independence Day celebration have not been answered as of Aug 7, 10 days before the event.

“The first Independence Day celebration at IKN is historic. And I am certain every journalist wants to cover it,” he told CNA.

“So I asked IKN’s authority how to cover it, but they said it was not their responsibility. Where should we local journalists seek information on how to cover an event about to happen in our region?” 

In his opinion, the authorities prefer giving information to Jakarta-based journalists. This, he said, feeds the perception that Nusantara is for the elites.

When contacted, the head of the presidential secretariat Heru Budi Hartono said his secretariat is coordinating the Independence Day celebration, and is still discussing the matter with the governor of East Kalimantan as well as the acting head of the Nusantara Capital Authority, Minister for Public Works Basuki Hadimuljono.

“We are also still compiling data about the vehicles which can enter IKN on Independence Day,” he told CNA on Aug 8.