Vice President: Expansion of the Papua Region Waiting for Evaluation of 4 New Autonomous Regions

As many as two customary territories in Papua, Bomberai, in the central part of West Papua, and Saireri, north of Papua, have demanded that the central government give them new province status. Apart from using the pretext of customary territory, regional and adat leaders thought that the new province could increase their economic capacity.
 
Vice President (Wapres) Ma'ruf Amin said the government had just added four new autonomous regions (DOB) in the Land of Papua. The government first evaluates the implementation of governance in the new autonomous region before determining whether to approve or reject these demands.
 
"We have mapped out the consequences of the emergence of these new autonomous regions, and we will also evaluate them later," Ma'ruf told reporters after a week-long working visit to the Papua region at the Manuhua Air Force Base, Biak, Papua, Friday, December 2, 2022.
 
However, said Ma'ruf, the government's stance was not in a position to approve the request. "Well, we'll see. So we don't a priori yes and we don't a priori refuse, let it proceed according to the demands of the situation, but the government has prepared the four," he explained.
 
Ma'ruf believes that the process of preparing the government and government offices in the four new autonomous regions in Papua can run smoothly. As for the new autonomous regions in Papua, namely Central Papua, South Papua, and Highlands Papua. The three new autonomous regions have been legalized as divisional regions of the Papua Province.
 
Meanwhile, Southwest Papua is a division of West Papua Province. However, the law for the formation of Southwest Papua is still awaiting numbering.
 
Previously, during an audience with the Vice President, government leaders and Saireri represented by the Regent of Biak Herry Ario Naap, Acting Regent of the Yapen Islands Cyfrianus Y Mambay, Deputy Regent of the Waropen Islands Lamek Maniagasi, Regional Secretary of Supiori Regency Ferra Wanggai, put forward a proposal to form a new province called North Papua .
 
Whereas the day before during an audience with traditional leaders and the Bomberai regional government, Kaimana Regent Freddy Thie, Fakfak Regent Untung Tamsil, Teluk Wondama Regent Hendrik Mambor, and Kaimana Traditional Council Chair Johan Werfete proposed dividing the area into West Central Papua province.

SOURCE : https://www.medcom.id/nasional/politik/yNLO9m6K-wapres-pemekaran-territory-papua-untung-evaluation-4-dob