'Useless for us': New Indonesian capital in Borneo excludes the indigenous and poor - special feature by Reuters

An aerial view of Sepaku district in North Penajam Paser, East Kalimantan, proposed area of Indonesia's new capital. - Reuters

JAKARTA, Feb 28 (Thomson Reuters Foundation): Maesaroh has sold chicken satay with rice from her stall on a busy Jakarta street close to government offices for about 13 years, serving more than 50 customers a day until the coronavirus pandemic slowed business to a trickle.

Now, she faces an even bigger threat: the relocation of Indonesia's capital from Jakarta to a site on Borneo island, which would devastate small businesses like Maesaroh's that depend on government offices and other firms in Jakarta.