Southwest Papua is situated on the northwestern side of the region known as the Doberai Peninsula, or the Bird's Head Peninsula. The province's westernmost point encompasses the protected region of the Raja Ampat Islands, which boasts a rich variety of marine creatures, including coral reefs, leatherback sea turtle, manta rays, and whale shark.[8][9] The province of Southwest Papua is centered around its capital, Sorong, which serves as an important hub for the region's oil and gas industry and a gateway to Papua. With modern port and airport facilities, Sorong is one of the most developed cities in Papua.[10] The province of Southwest Papua is home to various preserved ecosystems, including tropical rainforests and mountains. Tambrauw Regency, in particular, is a popular birdwatching destination and has declared its area as Conservation Regency in order to promote ecotourism.[11][12]
History
Sultanate of Tidore
The Raja Ampat Islands, located in Southwest Papua, have a long-standing history of having its own traditional government, governed by indigenous landowners known as Jaja, and the ethnic Ma'ya kings known as Fun from Waigeo who migrated to the other islands. They were later influenced by the Sultanate of Bacan and the Sultanate of Tidore, hence they adopted the Moluccan title of Kolano, as part of the sultanate expansion under Gurabesi. The 'Four Kings' (called Kalana Fat in Ma'ya or Korano Ngaruha in Tidore[13] or Raja Ampat in Indonesian) were appointed by the Tidore Sultan as administrators for the scattered group of islands and some coastal regions in Papua Island. These were three brothers: Fun Giwar, the ancestor of kings in Waigeo; Fun Malaban, the ancestor of kings in Salawati; Fun Bis, the ancestor of kings in Lilinta, west Misool. Later on, Tidore appointed another king, Tuimadahe, who was the ancestor of kings in Waigama, east Misool. His descendants merged with the native Matbat Jaja line. Fun Mo, an unrelated Moi from south of Sorong, became ancestor of kings in Sailolof, and later married the daughter of a king from Waigeo.[14]
Colonial period
Caterpillar tractor on the Kasim-Sele road used for oil and gas exploration in the 1930s
Tidore Sultanate became a Dutch protectorate in 17th century. At that time, Papua was considered to have little economic value compared to other islands, so the Tidore Sultanate was left to govern and tax it.[15] However, in the late 19th century, the Dutch Government realized that colonizing Papua could prevent other Europeans from approaching other islands in the Dutch East Indies, which would have disrupted their trade monopoly, particularly in spices in the Maluku Islands. As a result, the territory was governed more directly. Until the end of the 19th century, the main commodities in Papua were slaves and bird-of-paradise feathers.[16] In the early 20th century, mineral potential in Papua began to be discovered by Europeans. In 1935, the Nederlandsch Nieuw Guinee Petroleum Maatschappij (NNGPM) was established to conduct exploration of oil and gas. Oil was discovered in several locations, including Klamono and the Sele Strait (the strait between Papua Island and Salawati Island) in the Sorong Regency.[17]
Doom Island in 1955
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Dutch divided New Guinea into several parts called afdeeling. One of these parts was Afdeeling Noord Nieuw Guinea (North New Guinea) based in Manokwari. Each afdeeling was further divided into several onderafdeeling, one of which was the Sorong onderafdeeling centered on Doom Island. The Dutch then constructed offices, churches, and settlements on this island, making it a trading center and port. Residents who lived there at the time recount how Doom Island was brightly illuminated at night, even though the now major city of Sorong was still pitch black.[18]
Allied troops landing in Sausapor, Tambrauw in July 1944
During World War II, Papua was occupied by the Japanese in 1942 and became an area of intense fighting. The allied troops, led by General Douglas MacArthur, implemented the "island hopping" strategy to disrupt the Japanese logistics chain. They gradually took control of the north coast of Papua, starting from Jayapura, then Biak, and moving to the next islands, until they reached Sausapor in Tambrauw Regency. The Allies sent spies to find a suitable place to land, and Sausapor beach was chosen. In Operation Globetrotter, which took place between July and August 1944, the weakly defended Sausapor was captured by the allied forces. An airstrip was then built at Sausapor, which became the allied base for attacking the Moluccas and the Philippines. Japanese forces in Manokwari and Sorong, who were cut off from other units, fled to the forest and hid until the war was over. The Sausapor operation marked the liberation of Papua from Japan, and many remnants of the war can still be found in the area today.[19]
Post colonial
This region become the site of confrontations during Operation Trikora due to its proximity to Indonesian territory in the Maluku Islands. The first incursion into the Raja Ampat islands was an attempt by PG 200 on 14 September 1961 with 39 men under Lieutenant Jamaluddin Nasution. Lieutenant Nasution and two Papuans, Gerson Esuru (from Warwasi Village, Arguni) and Wos Rumaserang (both from the Gerakan Pelarian Pemuda) died in this attempt. This was then followed by PG 300, with command company 191261 under Lieutenant Nana managing to infiltrate Gag Island and later joined by 29 local islanders. While command company 191260 under Serma Boy Thomas managed to reach Cape Dalpele in Waigeo Island after hiding in Bala-Bala Island. These efforts were followed by other infiltration of PG 400 (survivors of KRI Macan Tutul) led by Charles Papilaya and PG 500 (former Permesta rebels) led by Jonkey Robert Kumontoy and managed to join with Herlina Kasim and also PG 200 who had arrived earlier. The island of Waigeo was a safe haven for Indonesian troops as Dutch forces rarely patrolled the region.[20][21][22] While in Sorong, Simon Randa, a Torajan, with the Moi tribes supplied Indonesian guerilla forces called enso-enso lit.'red-white' in the Moi language.[23]
The dispute of Western New Guinea was resolved with the signing of the New York Agreement, putting the region under the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) until it was transferred to Indonesian control in 1963. In 1969, the Act of Free Choice or PEPERA lit.'Determination of the People's Opinion' was held, which controversially formalized West Irian as Indonesian territory. The government subsequently restructured the administrative divisions of the region, changing the former Sorong onderafdeeling to Sorong Regency, which now covers an area similar to that of the present Southwest Papua Province.[24] The small island of Doom was abandoned, while the city of Sorong on the mainland of Papua Island has grown increasingly crowded and densely populated due to its strategic location. Doom Island is now the capital of Sorong Islands district, and some of the old buildings have been restored to serve as government offices. The population of Sorong has also increased with the government's transmigration program.[18][25] Because of Sorong's rapid growth, the local government proposed an increase in the status of Sorong to become an Administrative City which was approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1996.
On 4 October 1999, Sorong City was formalized by law and separated from Sorong Regency.[26] The existence of regional autonomy has caused rapid expansion in the number of regencies and districts. Sorong Regency has become smaller in size due to this regional division. On 11 December 2002 South Sorong Regency and Raja Ampat Regency were created from parts of Sorong Regency, then in 2008 Tambrauw Regency (on 29 October) and Maybrat Regency (on 19 December) were created from other parts of Sorong Regency. The support for the creation of a new province was due to dispute on the location of West Papua's provincial capital between Sorong and Manokwari. Manokwari faction argues that Manokwari is a mnukwar (old village), because it was the location of the original Dutch residents. After the decision to pick Manokwari, John Piet Wanane, the Regent of Sorong, began to coordinate efforts to create a new province for the former Sorong Regency, called Sorong Raya, which is based according to the ethnic groups that exist in the region.[27] What was then the whole of the former Sorong Regency was later formalized in law to become Southwest Papua Province in 2022 after 20 years of advocacy.[28]
The expansion in the aforementioned area was plagued by numerous controversies. In Maybrat Regency, a debate erupted over the location of the district capital between Kumurkek and Ayamaru. The people of Aifat supported Kumurkek, while the people of Ayamaru and Aitinyo supported Ayamaru. This tussle over the capital continued until the Constitutional Court intervened in 2013 and declared Ayamaru as the official capital. Despite this decision, community divisions persisted, and a meeting was eventually organized between the conflicting parties. In 2019, it was finally agreed that the capital would be relocated to Kumurkek. However, following the transfer, the Ayamaru people expressed their intention to establish the Maybrat Sau Regency and split from the original Maybrat Regency.[29][30] Tambrauw Regency was also embroiled in controversy when it "borrowed" four districts from Manokwari Regency, with the political motive of facilitating local elections. The move was met with protests from the community, but the Constitutional Court rejected the appeal and upheld the decision in 2013. The residents of Kebar, Amberbaken, Mubrani, and Senopi, who felt that they had been forcibly transferred to Tambrauw, announce a new region called West Manokwari Regency. With the creation of Southwest Papua, the community requested that West Manokwari be removed from the new province since it is geographically and culturally closer to Manokwari than Sorong and is the customary territory of the Arfak tribe. However, this issue was not addressed until the new province was formed.[31][32]
Southwest Papua was passed into law on 17 November 2022 by the DPR and inaugurated on 9 December 2022 by the Ministry of Home Affairs. On the day of the inauguration, Muhammad Musa'ad was also appointed as acting governor. Article from Antara News reports that the Sorong Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Southwest Papua is expected to play a vital role in empowering a large number of workers for the sake of boosting regional development.
The new province consist of five regencies (kabupaten) and the autonomous City of Sorong, which has the same status as a regency. The areas and populations as at the 2010[33] and 2020[34] Censuses, together with the official estimates as at mid 2022,[2] are tabulated below:
On 25 October 2013 the People's Representative Council began reviewing draft laws on the establishment of 57 prospective regencies/cities (and 8 new provinces).[37] This included a new province of Southwest Papua to be created out of the existing West Papua province, together with five new regencies to be formed within the new Southwest Papua Province – Malamoi and Maybrat Sau (both taken from Sorong Regency), Imekko (from South Sorong Regency), North Raja Ampat and South Raja Ampat (both from Raja Ampat Regency). Except for the creation of new provinces in Indonesian Papua, these projected changes have not yet (by 2023) been implemented.
The majority of the population of Southwest Papua are Protestant. According to data Directorate General of Population and Civil Registration, 61.65% of the population is Christian, with 54.5% adhering to Protestantism and 7.16% adhering to Catholicism, Islam is followed by 38.14% of the population, 0.1% adheres to Hinduism and another 0.1% Buddhism.[1]
An Ayamaru women, an indigenous tribe of Southwest Papua
Southwest Papua has diversity in ethnic groups in the area. Southwest Papua itself is included in the Doberai or Domberai customary territory which consists of 52 ethnic groups.[39] For example Moi people or Malamoi who are one of the original inhabitants of the Sorong City and Regency[40] and Maybrat people with various sub-ethnics such as Ayamaru, Aitinyo, Aifat, Karon, and Mare who come from Maybrat and South Sorong Regencies.[41] Many famous figures come from the Ayamaru people, such as Indonesian footballers Boaz Solossa and Ricky Kambuaya.[42] The other ethnic groups are the coastal Ma'ya, the ethnicity of the 'Four Kings' and the migrants Biak groups (Beser/Betew, Kafdaron, Biak-Karon/Bikar, Usba, Wardo) from Biak Islands and indigenous groups like Matbat and Amber living in the inland of Raja Ampat Islands.[43]Abun, Miyah and Mpur in Tambrauw Regency; Tehit in South Sorong; and Imekko people of Sorong and South Sorong with various sub-ethnics such as Inanwatan, Metemani, Kais, and Kokoda, the majority of whom are Muslims.[44][45]
Campus III Raja Ampat - D3 Ecotourism Study Programme[48]
Sausapor Tambrauw Campus - D3 Forest Resources Conservation Study Programme[49]
Sorong State Islamic Institute (IAIN Sorong)
Health Polytechnic of the Ministry of Health Sorong (Poltekkes Kemenkes Sorong)
Sorong Shipping Polytechnic (Poltekpel Sorong)
Sorong Marine and Fisheries Polytechnic
Private
Universitas Muhammadiyah Sorong (UNAMIN) - formerly Al-Amin University
University of Education Muhammadiyah Sorong (UNIMUDA)
University of Victory Sorong (UNVIC)
Papua Christian University (UKIP)
Saint Paul Catholic Polytechnic Sorong
Secondary School
Southwest Papua boasts a prestigious educational institution, SMA Averos Kota Sorong. As per the College Entrance Test Institute (LTMPT), this school secured the highest position among all the schools in Papua Island based on the 2022 Computer-Based Written Examination. Notably, in that year, only two schools from Papua managed to make it to the top 1000, with SMA Averos ranked 570 out of all the schools in Indonesia.[50][51]
Tourism
Raja Ampat Islands
Wajag Island, Raja Ampat Islands
The Raja Ampat Islands are a series of four adjacent island clusters located in the western part of the Bird's Head (Vogelkoop) of Papua Island. Administratively, this cluster is mainly under Raja Ampat Regency, Southwest Papua Province (except for two districts which lie within the Sorong Regency). These islands are now a destination for divers who are interested in the beauty of the underwater scenery. The island group is named after the four kings, who used to rule the islands of Waigeo, Misool, Salawati, and Batanta.[8]
Tambrauw Conservation Regency
The Regent of Tambrauw declared Tambrauw Regency as a Conservation Regency through a Regional Regulation in 2018. Most of Tambrauw's territory consists of conservation forests, protected forests, and coastal areas with a variety of protected flora and fauna. Indigenous people with their traditional culture play an important role in maintaining the conservation area.[52][53] Some protected areas in Tambrauw include North Tambrauw Nature Reserve, South Tambrauw Nature Reserve, Sausapor Beach Nature Reserve, and Jeen Womom Coastal Park.[53][54] Because of its beautiful and well-preserved nature, Tambrauw has great ecotourism potential. One of them is as a birdwatching destination.[11] Birds that can be found in Tambrauw include cenderawasih, mambruk, cockatoo, nuri and cassowary. Other fauna in Tambrauw include wallabies, tree kangaroos, cuscuses and leatherback turtles.[53][55]
Culture
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2022)
^25 tahun Trikora (in Indonesian). Yayasan Badan Kontak Keluarga Besar Perintis Irian Barat. 1988. pp. 96–109. Retrieved 1 November 2021 – via Google Play Books.
^25 tahun Trikora (in Kinyarwanda). Yayasan Badan Kontak Keluarga Besar Perintis Irian Barat. 1988. pp. 164–167. Retrieved 1 November 2021 – via Google Play Books.
^"Jumlah Penduduk Menurut Agama" (in Indonesian). Ministry of Religious Affairs. 31 August 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2023. Muslim 241 Million (87), Christianity 29.1 Million (10.5), Hindu 4.69 million (1.7), Buddhist 2.02 million (0.7), Folk, Confucianism, and others 192.311 (0.1), Total 277.749.673 Million
