Nunukan Residents Threaten to Leave Indonesia Over Paralysed Road Access
Access to the provincial ring road in Krayan District, Nunukan Regency, North Kalimantan, has completely broken down, sparking a dramatic protest from local residents. Dozens of community representatives, including traditional leaders and village chiefs, stormed the provincial parliament (DPRD) in Tanjung Selatan, threatening to secede from Indonesia if the government does not immediately address the infrastructure crisis.
Community leader Marli stated that the road connecting Krayan Induk, Barat, Selatan, and Tengah is now entirely impassable. This has triggered a domino effect, crippling vital sectors such as the economy, education, and healthcare. “Because of the road conditions, the price of sugar has reached Rp 30,000. Electricity in South Krayan is only on for four hours a day because it depends on fuel supplies. Aid can now only be delivered via MAF pioneer flights,” Marli said after a hearing in Tanjung Selor.
The residents’ struggle was not easy; they undertook a gruelling overland journey by motorbike from Krayan to Malinau, then crossed to Tarakan before finally arriving in the provincial capital to voice their grievances. Marli revealed that the suffering of the residents was so severe that several council leaders were moved to tears when shown video footage of the road conditions during the session. He issued a stark ultimatum: “If the government does not want to think about Krayan or consider us human, then release Krayan from Indonesia. Who knows, maybe Palestine or Israel would be willing to build Krayan.”
Marli demanded the immediate declaration of a road emergency status and a written commitment regarding the disbursement of repair funds. Residents are insisting that future infrastructure budgets focus on quality improvements, such as stone hardening, rather than just routine maintenance that quickly deteriorates. “If there is no answer tonight, we will reoccupy the DPRD office until there is an explanation. We demand a written statement to take back to Krayan; the people will not accept just verbal promises,” he asserted.
Responding to the protest, Chairman of Commission III of the North Kalimantan DPRD, Jufri Budiman, assured that the parliament would pressure the provincial government to accommodate the road repair budget in the 2026 Revised Regional Budget (APBD-P). He acknowledged that the provincial government had not allocated funds this year due to a deficit, but insisted that the allocation in the revised budget is non-negotiable given the severity of the conditions. Jufri also warned the provincial government to pay serious attention to border areas and ensure that even limited budgets are used for essential maintenance to close severely damaged and potholed road sections.