Indonesia made new history through the passage of three new autonomous region (DOB) bills (RUU) in Indonesian West Papua on June 30 2022. One of the three newly created regions is the South Papua Province. In order to welcome this historic day, a number of community elements at that time stepped together to throng the Merauke Regent’s Office.

Not without reason, Merauke Regency was designated as the domicile of the Capital City of South Papua Province. The Regional Secretary of Merauke Regency, Ruslan Ramli said, the activity of unfurling a giant flag in the courtyard of the Merauke Regent’s Office was a spontaneous action by the community as an expression of joy over the formation of the South Papua Province which they had been waiting for for 20 years.

The presence of this new province in Papua is one of the government’s efforts to organize the area so that the public services it provides are more optimal. Through the existence of the Province of South Papua, the span of government control can be shortened so that the public services provided will be more efficient and effective, in line with the principles of good governance.

Furthermore, it is believed that this can also accelerate the realization of social welfare, strengthen regional competitiveness, and strengthen Indonesia’s integrity in border areas with other countries or neighboring countries.

In the future, in the context of implementing regional autonomy, South Papua Province has a number of homework to do, such as making various efforts to increase economic capacity, preparing government facilities and infrastructure, empowering and increasing human resources, and managing natural resources in accordance with statutory provisions. .

History of South Papua The formation of the Province of South Papua certainly did not just happen. As stated by one of the community leaders in Merauke who is also the initiator of the formation of the South Papua Province, Johanes Gluba Gebze.

According to Johanes, the initial aspirations for the formation of the South Papua Province were first declared in 2002 and re-submitted in 2020.

Thus, it can be understood that the journey of the formation of South Papua in order to make the Land of Papua more advanced is not a struggle to turn the palms of the hand. On the other hand, the journey to form the province, which is also known as the Anim Ha customary territory, took about 20 years.

Johanes also conveyed that the South Papua region was an area designed by God in the southern rib of the Land of Papua. This vast flat land was awarded to six major tribes, namely Marind, Muyu, Mandobo, Awyu, Mappi and Asmat. They are the heirs to the South Papua region.

History of South Papua Province

Long before the arrival of Europeans in the South Papua region, the area was inhabited by tribes who survived by hunting, gathering and gardening. Then in the 19th century, Europeans began to colonize New Guinea. They divided the area in a straight line, causing the west to become Dutch New Guinea and the east to England.

Even so, Marind residents who were known as head hunters often crossed the border so that in 1902, the Dutch Government established a military post at the eastern tip of South Papua. The post which is located around the Maro River was established to strengthen the border and eradicate the hunting tradition carried out by the Marind people.

Apart from that, the Netherlands also made it a place for the spread of Catholicism which was also intended to stop the tradition of headhunting by Marind residents. Gradually, the post became more and more crowded because of its location on the Maro River, the Dutch government also named the area Merauke and at the same time designated it as the Capital City of South New Guinea Province. The Javanese then started arriving to clear the rice fields there. Over time, the Dutch received information about the existence of a larger river, namely the Digul River.

Apart from the Maro river, the Dutch also heard information about another, larger river called the Digul River. The Dutch then sent an expedition there. In the 1920s, the idea emerged to use the interior of Papua as a detention camp.

A suitable location was Boven Digoel (upstream of the Digul river) where a camp called Tanah Merah was later established. The dense forest and the ferocious Digul river, coupled with an outbreak of malaria, caused prisoners to be tortured but unable to escape.

Several Indonesian figures who have been detained here include Moh. Hatta and Sutan Sjahrir. After the Dutch left in the 1960s, Tanah Merah grew busier and became a city and eventually became the capital of Boven Digoel Regency.

In the 1960s, all of Dutch New Guinea was under Indonesian control. The former Zuid Nieuw Guinea was changed to Merauke Regency with its capital in Merauke City.

In the 1960s, when the Dutch had left these areas, Tanah Merah was even more crowded and eventually became Boven Digoel Regency. It was also around the 1960s that the whole of Dutch New Guinea was successfully controlled by Indonesia and the South New Guinea region was changed to Merauke Regency. In 2002, Merauke Regency was divided into four districts namely Merauke, Mappi, Asmat and Boven Digoel.

Next, in 2002, Merauke was divided into four regencies, namely Merauke as the parent district, Boven Digoel, Mappi and Asmat. In 2022, all of these areas will be united to become the Province of South Papua. Regional Coverage In more detail, the Draft Bill on the Establishment of the Province of South Papua also regulates the area coverage of the province. The government together with the DPR RI have determined that South Papua Province includes four districts, namely Merauke Regency, Boven Digoel Regency, Mappi and Asmat Regency. Furthermore, it was also agreed that the Capital City of South Papua Province would be located in Merauke Regency.

With a total area covering the four districts, according to data compiled from the papua.go.id page, the area of South Papua Province reaches 127,280 square kilometers. Meanwhile, based on data compiled from the website of the Central Statistics Agency for Papua Province, the total population of South Papua Province which is the combined population of the four districts in 2021 will reach 517,623 people.

The boundaries of the South Papua Province cover a number of areas, namely to the north it is bordered by Nduga Regency, Yahukimo Regency, and Gunung Bintang Regency. Then, to the east it is bordered by the State of Papua New Guinea, to the south by the Arafura Sea, and to the west by Mimika Regency and the Aru Sea. With a variety of community backgrounds, South Papua will have a number of languages that can be used by its people. Besides Indonesian as the unified language, there are also Asmat, Mandobo, Auyu, Wambon, Muyu, and even Javanese. Through its formation, the Province of South Papua has the authority to manage natural resources in the sea area and the procedure for drawing the boundaries of management authority in accordance with the provisions of the applicable laws and regulations.

District in South Papua Province

1. Merauke Regency

Merauke Regency is the largest area in Papua Province. Its area is 45,071 km2 or 11 percent of the area of Papua Province. Geographically, Merauke Regency is located at 137 degrees – 141 degrees East Longitude and 6 degrees 0 0′- 9 degrees 0 0′ South Latitude.

Merauke Regency is bordered to the north by Boven Digoel and Mappi Regencies, to the east by Papua New Guinea, to the south by the Arafura Sea, and to the west by the Arafura Sea.

The population of this regency, which is the easternmost of the archipelago, is 230,225 people (Semester I 2021). Merauke Regency is the largest rice producing area in Papua Province. The highest rice production is located in Tanah Miring District, which is 56,444 tons.

Apart from rice, the fishery sector in Merauke Regency is also the largest in Papua Province. The economic potential of Merauke Regency is in the form of plantation industrialization in remote areas of Merauke Regency.

2. Mappi District

Mappi Regency has an area of 28,518.63 km2. Geographically, Mappi Regency is located at 5 degrees 10’0″ North Latitude – 7 degrees 30’0″ South Latitude and 138 degrees 30’0″ West Longitude – 140 degrees 10’0″ East Longitude.

Mappi Regency is bordered by Asmat Regency to the north, Merauke Regency to the south, Asmat and Laut Arafura Regencies to the west, and Boven Digoel Regency to the east.

The population of Mappi Regency according to Regency Population Data is 103,292 people (2021). It is estimated that Mappi Regency has petroleum potential spread across Citak Matak District and bauxite in Obaa District and its surroundings.

Other natural resources are in the form of plantation products whose potential can still be increased, such as coffee, rubber, coconut and other resident plant commodities.

Other plantation commodities include cashew, cocoa, cloves and cottonwood. One of the economic potentials of the residents of Mappi Regency is looking for agarwood to the interior of the forest. The famous Agarwood comes from the Assue District. The wood is known for its quality.

3. Asmat Regency

Asmat Regency has an area of 23,746 km2 or 7.44 percent of Papua Province. Asmat Regency is located at 40-70 South Latitude and 13 70 – 14 00 East Longitude. Asmat Regency is bordered by a number of areas and the sea.

The boundaries to the north are Nduga Regency and Yahukimo Regency. The boundary of Asmat Regency to the south is the Arafura Sea and Mappi Regency. Then, the boundaries of the area to the west are the Arafuru Sea and Mimika Regency. Meanwhile, the boundary of Asmat Regency to the east is Boven Digoel Regency and Mappi Regency.

The population in Asmat Regency according to the Population and Civil Registry Office is 144,764 people (2019). The name of the area which has been popular since 1904 has natural resources in the form of fisheries, both from land and from the sea.

The potential for inland fisheries comes from the major rivers in this region. Meanwhile, marine fisheries come from the Arafuru Sea. Another potential natural resource is the Lorentz National Park which is designated by UNESCO as the largest national park in Southeast Asia.

One of the economic potentials of Asmat Regency comes from the forestry sector. This sector has a strategic function because it contributes to the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) of Asmat Regency. Asmat Regency, which is dominated by forest areas, has protected forests and production forests. Production of forest products in the form of sawn timber.

4. Boven Digoel Regency

The total area of Boven Digoel Regency is 27,108.29 km2. Geographically, Boven Digoel Regency is located at 4 degrees 98′ – 7 degrees 10′ south latitude and 139 degrees 90′- 141 degrees east longitude.

Boven Digoel Regency is bordered by a number of regencies and neighboring countries. The boundary to the north is the Gunung Bintang Regency and Yahukimo Regency.

The territory is bordered on the east by the state of Papua New Guinea (PNG), on the south by Merauke Regency, and on the west by Mappi and Asmat Regencies.

According to sectoral statistical data, the population of Boven Digoel Regency is around 72,122 people (2020).

The natural resources of Boven Digoel Regency are in the form of agriculture (rice, corn, soybeans, cassava, sweet potatoes, and fruits), plantations (oil palm, pepper, rubber), and fisheries (has many rivers for fishing or cultivation). .

The economic potential comes from the forestry sector with the main commodity being logs. The forestry sector can increase regional income.