The Creation of New Regions in Papua: Blessing or Disaster?

The relatively recent accelerated formation of new provinces, kabupaten (regencies), cities, districts and villages in the land of Papua is causing new areas to spread like a mould, appearing in every direction in Papua. The Indonesian Government’s most recent plan is to create five new provinces in Papua which together with the two existing ones will mean a total of seven provinces in the land of Papua. In order to meet its own requirements for the formation of these planned five new provinces, the government is busy at this time accelerating at a rapid rate the formation of new regencies and cities so as to satisfy their own criteria for creating a new province. To add to the situation so many different parties are competing with each other to be the next region to have further divisions, each party of course with its own goals and motives. Indonesia claims their reasons for this push are totally associated with welfare of Papuans, but what is the real truth behind why they rapidly opening up so many new regions by dividing others? What is the real reason they want to split Papua into seven provinces and all the endless divisions they are creating within that? The following article takes an inside look at what is really going on in Papua.

The Supposed Basis for the Creation of New Regions

The authority to create the new regions is derived from both an Indonesian Statute (No 32, 2004) which concerns regions given autonomy and a Government Regulation (No 29,2000) regarding the Conditions for Formation and Criteria for the Creation, Abandonment or Consolidation of Regions.

Ideally the primary reason for such divisions into new provinces, regencies or wider city areas and so on should be to reduce the extent of the area that must be reached in order to provide government services to any one community. There may be also other lesser reasons also taken into account regarding history, culture, economic factors and perceived fairness (www.pkkod.lan.go.id/index.php?mod=6&d=62).

In the interests of achieving those goals, the legislative and executive bodies of the government have the authority to form new regions whether new provinces, regencies, wider city areas, districts or at the village level. It is their responsibility to have carried out proper research into what is appropriate and what is not in any particular region so as to determine what new formations are suitable. If based on proper research and carried out according to the criteria and conditions for the formation as determined by those provisions in force in Indonesia, then indeed those divisions into new regions should theoretically be reasonable. However conversely if those criteria and conditions are not met then it is not reasonable or appropriate for such divisions to occur.

In particular there’s a number of extremely important criteria that are supposed to be fulfilled in the process of proposing the formation of a new region (for details refer clause 5 (1) of Statute No. 32, 2004). The approval is supposed to require fulfilment of clearly defined administrative, technical and physical criteria by the region under consideration (e.g. the area of land involved, the population of the area, the potential of the region for development and so forth). However the reality is that it has been proven by research that many of the new regions created throughout Indonesia have not in fact fulfilled the required criteria and conditions which are supposed to form the basis on which the decisions to make those divisions are made. The Centre for Regional Autonomy Studies in Indonesia led by Dr Nurjayadi Pribadi and his colleagues, have concluded that the majority of new regions being created in Indonesia are in fact nothing more than acts based on mere emotion based decisions and not decisions based on rational reasoning
(Footnote 1).

The Formation of New Regions in the Land Of Papua

The question begs whether the creation of new provinces, regencies, wider city areas, districts and grouped villages in Papua - that are at present mushrooming at a rapid rate - are truly aimed at achieving those acceptable goals referred to above. Or whether in fact there is some other hidden agenda of the Indonesian Government behind this present rapid expansion in the number of regions.

Based on observation and study of the matter by the Writer until this time, one can only conclude that decisions for the creation of new regions in the land of Papua are loaded with political, security and economic interests of Indonesia and its allies (footnote 2). Those interests are in turn maintained by Indonesia continuing its hold on Papua through the application of a range of political and security strategies which they constantly claim are applied within the framework of securing the economic interests of Indonesia and its allies.

The Impact of the Creation of New Regions in the Land Of Papua

In looking at the incessant creation of new areas in Papua one needs to keep in mind the political ideological conflict that exists between the state of Indonesia and the nation of Papua. A conflict that has been intentionally prolonged by Indonesia and its allies so as to be able to ‘justify’ Indonesia’s actions in Papua whilst at the same time continuing to use the land of Papua like some type of ‘farm’ or ‘kitchen’ to provide for the rest of the world. Indonesia’s aim is to seize the economic opportunity for as long as possible whilst at the same time working in ways - that aren’t seen by the rest of the world - to destroy the wholeness of Papua (including the annihilation of the Papuan ethnic race). Overpowering the land of Papua and its people in a systematic, planned and measurable way. It is only when approached within this framework that we can start to understand the real reasons behind the rapid expansion of new areas in Papua. In the following paragraphs some of the destructive impacts from this rapid increase in the numbers of divisions into new regions will be outlined allowing the reader to decide for themself what’s really going on with this rapid division of the land of Papua.

First and foremost the practice of dividing the land into many new regions at all levels, is providing an open door for Indonesia and its allies to destroy the natural order of the oneness of the creation in Papua. The oneness of plants and animals, of both the land and waters. The destruction is resulting from a number of factors and primarily the multinational companies (mining for minerals, oil and gas), the logging companies (legal and illegal), burning and felling of the forests for other reasons including the development of local district / kabupaten (administrative offices etc), plantations, transmigrants or large-scale farming.

The continual division of the land is also providing a ‘convenient’ way to create structural poverty amongst indigenous Papuans. By destroying the natural order and arrangement of the natural environment , the indigenous people of Papua lose their very source of livelihood. With the lands of their ancestors taken from them or destroyed, the people experience hunger and / or struggle for survival, which on a wider scale leads to annihilation of the race .

With the creation of new provinces, regencies, cities, districts and village groupings, doors are opened for transmigrants from outside of Papua to move into the area. The usual practice has been that the government has forced Papuans off an area of land with the ‘help’ of the military and police, then has built new housing areas for transmigrants. With the arrival of newcomers they are given a house, with the consequence that the right of ownership of the land passes to the government or newly arrived transmigrants and in so doing the indigenous Papuans natural assets are lost forever. In recent times both the government and migrants have started buying the land from those who have the traditional customary rights to that site, although in those certain cases where the person with the traditional customary right does not agree to surrender their right to the land in return for money, they are ‘escorted’ to a certain place and ‘persuaded’ by military or police to do so.

Furthermore, the creation of new divisions creates a golden opportunity for Indonesia through ways and means to engender discrimination against and marginalisation of indigenous Papuans. Usually the centres of economics in the new locations are controlled by the newly arrived transmigrants (who in particular migrate from areas of Bugis from southern Sulawesi, from Buton an island off the southeast peninsula of Sulawesi and from Macassar, Java and Madura Island.) So with the theft of their lands and natural resources together with the effects of monopolies over local economics by newcomers and with still to date no partiality shown towards development that is truly for the indigenous community, Papuans as a result experience severe marginalisation and discrimination in the very lands of their ancestors.

The division of lands into new areas also creates a type of dependency for the local Papuan community. With Papuans having lost their lands and newcomers controlling the local economics, the Papuan cultural ethic of working hard is undermined as the majority of civilians feel disempowered and just wait in hope for assistance from the government. Sometimes in the form of rice for the poor or at times as direct financial assistance from the government. In the case of giving direct financial aid the government is not empowering the local community. Rather it is disempowering the community both in relation to the potential of each individual and the potential of that particular region.

With each new division opens the way for the development of new divisions of the military and police in that location. New divisions of Regional Military Commands (Kodam), Military Command Posts (Korem), District Military Commands (Kodim), Provincial level Police (Polda), District Level Police Command Posts (Polres), Sub-District Police Command Posts (Polsek) and then the many posts of both the military and police. The impact of this ever increasing ‘security’ apparatus that is obvious every way one looks, is literally threatening the very right to life of indigenous Papuans. Particularly that of Papuan Freedom activists with increasingly less room for them to move in their struggle for the most basic rights of Papuans.

With the creation of endless new regions there is also seen a proliferation of social sicknesses, diseases and the spread of epidemics that have entered from outside Papua. An example being the number of ‘officially approved’ brothels as well as those not officially approved, that have been established in these newly created regions, all of which receive protection from the government due to the taxes and fees they generate. The government doesn’t open its eyes to the terrible impact that this is having on the local people in the undermining of their social morality plus with the lack of proper controls in place the spread of diseases including HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. The result as the Indonesian government data now shows, is that Papua has now the second highest number of HIV / AIDS cases in Indonesia after Jakarta.

The opening of new divisions in Papua has also become the ‘way in’ for the destruction of Papua’s forests (known internationally as the ‘lungs of the world’). With the rapid proliferation of new divisions and the destructive impacts from that, the order of things that allows humans the ‘space’ to survive in the midst of that is being increasingly destroyed for indigenous Papuans. Forests are being knocked down for the development of new administration blocks, for housing complexes for newcomers and for plantations and large farms owned by those outside Papua.

The creation of new regions also acts like a bridge for islamitization. The land of Papua was previously occupied by a majority population who adhered to Christian beliefs, however Christians are now becoming increasingly a minority. There are now whole village areas that were previously Christian who have now converted to Islam. People have been influenced by the hard liners in the Muslim faith by a variety of cheap offers to attract them, following which thoughts are planted in their minds to harden their hearts to the Christian beliefs. It has frequently occurred in Papua that the door into the area for Islam has been through ways opened with the creation of new divisions by the government, from the regency down to village level. At the time of writing the hardliner Muslims are really starting to multiply in all dimensions of life in Papua through systematic, planned and measurable ways. By no means is it my meaning in saying this, to try and prevent Papuans who are Christians from becoming Muslims as it is the human right of every human being to choose their own religious beliefs. However the methods that have been used to the present time by the hard-line Islamic groups to cause Papuans to enter Islam by luring them with a range of cheap offers and promises that are blatant lies, is something that is far from praiseworthy.

The extent of constructions of Islamic mosques in new regions at this time in Papua is mushrooming at such a rapid rate that it is not hard to see that it is pointing to the real possibility that Papua may at some time in the not too distant future become a central area for Muslims in especially the eastern part of Indonesia. This presents a most serious threat to the continued existence of the Christian indigenous community in the land of Papua.

The creation of each new land division within Papua gives rise to organisations that are focused only on that region’s needs and out of this dynamic is being seen a destructive growing egocentric and clan-centric attitude amongst Papuans. Manipulation of this tendency against the people was actually a method used previously during the Dutch Regime to deal with the Indonesian liberation movement. Since then it has been used as a primary method of ‘divide and rule’ used by Indonesia in dealing with the Papuan Freedom Movement.

The cumulative effect of all these negative impacts from the continual dividing of the land of Papua into new regions, is a slow-moving but certain genocide against the ethnic Papuan race. A genocide that is occurring by both overt and covert means.

The Creation of New Areas Is Not the Solution

The proliferation of new regions in the form of new provinces, regencies, cities, districts and village groupings is clearly not as is claimed by Indonesia for the purpose of development of Papua. Neither is if for the empowerment of the Papuan people at those local areas. The truth is that those divisions are in fact very destructive and disempower the indigenous peoples of the local area. The Indonesian Government alleges to be of the viewpoint that the divisions into new regions brings people of the community closer to government services and it’s therefore in the welfare interests of the people. However the facts in the field tell an opposite story and make clear that the incessant divisions are threatening the very existence of ethnic Papuans.

The creation of new regions is not the solution for bringing an end to the problems in the land of Papua as Indonesia claims. In fact quite the opposite. The divisions have become a massive problem giving rise to so many new problems for indigenous Papuans. Problems that together are having the result of annihilating the ethnic Papuan people, slowly but surely. Indeed this is the real motivation of the Indonesian Government with the incessant divisions into new areas.

Suggestions and Recommendations

Once again let it be said that the divisions of the land of Papua into new regions whether provinces, regencies, cities, districts or village areas is NOT the solution to the problems in Papua. That those very actions are putting the continued existence of the ethnic Papuan race at risk. Writer in concluding offers three suggestions and one recommendation for the consideration of all concerned parties

1. To Papuans themselves: Until this time so many Papuans have been snared in the dirty political games of the Indonesian Government. For the sake of positions of employment, power, gaining respect or the acquisition of income / wealth, certain Papuans has become involved in the push to create new provinces, kabupaten (regency), cities, districts or village grouping areas. These Papuans have not considered the terrible impacts the creation of those new areas will undoubtedly have on the people. Papuans are being tricked and snared like in a Javanese puppet show, being played with by Jakarta with the motive of destroying the unity of the entire creation (humans and nature) in the land of Papua. Papuans have been blinded and tricked by their passions of the moment in chasing positions of power, respect and wealth and not thinking about the safety, existence and continuation of the ethnic Papuan race in the land of their ancestors. These persons are urged to immediately stop competing to open new regions in the land of Papua.

2. To the Indonesian Government: Papuans are clearly aware of the hidden agenda of the Indonesia Government behind the creation of new regions in Papuan. Aware that those divisions are not intended for the purposes of development of the region or for the empowerment or welfare of the indigenous community of Papua. Rather quite the opposite, to destroy and disempower the indigenous people of Papua in every dimension of life. And aware that this very strategy is leading to the consequence of a slow-moving but certain genocide against the ethnic Papuan race. The Indonesian Government is therefore called on to strop creating new provinces, regencies, cities, districts and village areas in Papua and to acknowledge how those very acts are adding so many new problems for the people of Papua.

3. To other nations of the world and the United Nations (UN) together with the international community in solidarity with Papua: It is hoped that these parties will not be tricked by the clever propaganda and provocation of the Indonesia Government with its claims that these divisions are the solution for Papua’s problems. Trickery that is behind the creation of every new region in Papua. As their hidden agenda is to destroy the wholeness of the creation on Papua and to bring suffering on the people of Papua thereby leading to their annihilation.

The recommendation is put forward that dignified consultations / dialogue without pre-conditions be held between the Republic of Indonesia and the Nation of Papua in a neutral location facilitated by a neutral third party. As one way to find a dignified solution. All parties that have a heart for and who are called to make ‘Papua a land of Peace’, together with those that have some interests in Papua, are urged to unify their opinions and commitments and to step forward together so that the above consultations / dialogue may become a reality as one way to find a dignified solution to the situation.

If it eventuates that this road to dialogue is not possible, then certainly an alternative dignified way will be found to bring peace in the land of Papua. For in bringing peace to Papua, peace is also brought to Indonesia and in the healing of Papua is also the healing of Indonesia. Not only for Indonesia but also in fact for others in the world as the situation in Papua is indeed an international issue. The problems of Papua are as thorns in the flesh that cause sickness for not only for the nation of Papua but also for Indonesia and for those in the international community who hold onto the high ideals of democracy, justice, truth, honesty, human rights and peace.

Footnotes:

1. According to the results of research by the Centre for Regional Autonomy Studies in Indonesia by Dr Nurjayadi Pribadi and Associates :

i) The reasons for the creation of new regions in Indonesia are based on emotion and not on rational matters
ii) The implications of the creation of new regions is an increased financial burden on the state
iii) The criteria applied in making the new divisions relate to Regulation No 29 (2000) however the reality is that those regions never show the progress that was stated in the proposals for their formation

(www.pkkod.lan.go.id/index.php?mod=6&d=62)

2. The political and security interests of Indonesia are closely related to the political ideological conflict between the state of Indonesia and nation of Papua (west). That conflict can be referred to as the conflict between those adherents of the Indonesian Pancasila ideology and those of the Papuan Mabruk ideology.

Selpius Bobii is the General Chairperson of The United Front of the Struggle of the Nation of Papua. He is a Papuan Freedom Political Detainee in Abepura State prison, Jayapura. © Scoop Media