Transmigration as an Ideological Policy

Abstract

This chapter analyses one of the classic examples of population distribution policy, transmigration in Indonesia, from the perspective of political demography. The analysis began by locating transmigration within the different political regimes, during colonial time and after independence. The endurance of transmigration policy that is continually being adopted by the different regimes shows the strategic position of transmigration as a useful policy instrument not only for demographic and economic purposes but also more importantly for political reasons. The introduction of borders by the colonial state and continuation after the independence by the post-colonial nation-state emphasise the notion of territorial space, making migration, movement of people within geographical spaces, critically important for the realisation of national unity within the sovereign nation-state border. The chapter has finally concluded that transmigration is indeed an ideological policy which is characterised by its important role to achieve the highest political goal, national integration.