Development now Indonesia-centric, not Java-centric, says VP Gibran

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming asserted that Indonesia's development focus has shifted from being Java-centric to Indonesia-centric. Speaking at the opening of the National Religious Choir Festival in Manokwari, West Papua, he emphasized that development now aims to reduce inequality, expand access, and improve welfare across the archipelago.

Rakabuming pointed to numerous development projects outside Java, particularly in Papua, as evidence of this shift. These include the Trans Papua road, new hospitals, schools, fishing villages, and the distribution of free nutritious meals. He stressed that conducive and peaceful conditions are essential for development, praising the choir festival's theme of peace and brotherhood in Papua.

During his visit to eastern Indonesia from June 18-21, 2026, which included stops in East Nusa Tenggara, Gorontalo, and Papua, Rakabuming brought along five university students. These students, from various institutions, are tasked with monitoring the implementation of the free nutritious meal program and the Village Red and White Cooperatives.

This initiative comes at a time when student protests criticizing government programs like the free nutritious meals and Village Red and White Cooperatives have intensified. A demonstration in Jakarta on June 12, 2026, saw students present at least five demands to President Prabowo Subianto's administration, including the cessation of these specific programs.