Nabiila Azzahra A, Daniel A. Fajri, Tika Ayu, Andi Adam Faturahman, Petir Garda B, Jakarta – President Joko Widodo or Jokowi recently asserted that the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) project has garnered widespread approval from the Indonesian people through their elected representatives in the House of Representatives (DPR).
He emphasized that this initiative is not solely a presidential decision. However, a campaigner from Greenpeace Indonesia has dismissed this claim as mere political statements.
"This is just a political statement. Simply because the DPR has approved the project does not equate to its automatic endorsement by the people," said Arie Rompas, Head of the Forest Campaign Team at Greenpeace Indonesia, in a phone interview on Sunday, September 29.
The President made the statement during a speech at the National Coordination Meeting of Baznas 2024, held at the IKN State Palace on September 25, 2024.
Arie explained that Greenpeace Indonesia, an environmental civil society organization, was not involved in any discussions with the government regarding the mega-project prior to its commencement. The organization joined a coalition opposing the new capital's construction for ecological, economic, and social reasons after the project began in Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan.
The People's Land Coalition (Titura) had previously staged a protest against the IKN project in solidarity with East Kalimantan residents on August 17, 2024, coinciding with Indonesia's Independence Day. However, dozens of protesters were arrested by the police after displaying a large banner that read "Indonesia is Not For Sale" on the Galang Island Bridge, Penajam Paser Utara.
Arie asserted that the IKN project has always been Jokowi's personal endeavor, designed to serve his interests. He accused the President of leveraging his political power to expedite the passage of IKN-related regulations through the DPR.
The majority of DPR members approved the amendment to Law Number 3 of 2022 concerning the State Capital last year, with only two factions expressing reservations or outright rejection. The Democratic Party faction noted certain shortcomings in the revised law, while the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) vehemently opposed its ratification.
"Despite the political opposition to this project, Jokowi's consolidation of power within the DPR enabled its passage," Arie observed.
Observers have previously considered the IKN project as a monumental undertaking that could place a significant burden on the state budget. Environmental activists have also repeatedly raised concerns about the potential ecological impacts and land displacements associated with the development.
Greenpeace Indonesia has documented the IKN project's detrimental effects on biodiversity, including the clearance of over four hectares of mangrove forest in the upper Bay of Balikpapan. The organization's records indicate that even before the IKN development, the island of Kalimantan had faced environmental degradation.
"The collusion between the government and palm oil and paper conglomerates has been the primary driver of deforestation across 15 million hectares and the appropriation of indigenous and local lands," as stated by Greenpeace Indonesia on August 17, 2024.