West Java Renamed Tatar Sunda? Historian Says Bekasi-Depok Culture No Longer Sundanese

A proposal to change the name of West Java Province to Tatar Sunda has become a topic of public discussion. While some parties agree, many others oppose the renaming of the province. Historian Ali Anwar from Bekasi believes the discourse will trigger ethnic sentiment. He argues that not all regions in West Java today possess Sundanese culture, citing the northern coastal areas, Depok, and Bekasi. “Renaming West Java to Sunda will create ethnic sentiment within the province. Cirebon, the Pantura region, Bekasi, Depok — their culture is not Sundanese or is no longer Sundanese,” he said when contacted on Tuesday (7/7/2026). He added that such ethnic sentiment could have far-reaching consequences, including the possibility that several regions might choose to secede from the province. “Eventually, regions will ask to break away from West Java,” Ali said. Rather than focusing on a name change, he suggested the West Java provincial government address the persistent issue of poverty by creating jobs. Only after that, he noted, should the renaming matter be pursued.