THE fact that the regent of Trenggalek in East Java is protesting the plan to open a gold mine in his region is the latest evidence of how the Job Creation Law is stripping away regional authority. The voices of the regions and of the public are ignored as a result of President Joko Widodo’s development orientation, which puts investment above everything.

Mochamad Nur Arifin, the Trenggalek Regent, opposes the presence of Sumber Mineral Nu