Papua is one of the eastern provinces in Indonesia, which is well-known for its natural beauty and rich culture. As the official province of Indonesia, Papua indeed has undergone many transitions, including some name changes. When the Netherlands colonized Indonesia, Papua was known as Nederland Nieuw Guinea or Dutch New Guinea.
But, this name changed following Indonesia’s Independence in 1945 when it became “Irian Barat.” When President Soekarno inaugurated the Freeport gold and copper mine, he also decided to change this province’s name to “Irian Jaya.” This name was still used until law no.21 of 2021 about Papua’s special autonomy, which changed the name “Irian Jaya ” into Papua Province.
The constant change of name and this province also has had some transitions in leadership list since the beginning. Here is the list of governors who have served in Papua and some facts about them.
The List Governors of Papua
Governors of Irian Barat
- Zainal Abidin Syah (September 23, 1956 – December 31, 1961
- Pamoedji (December 31, 1961 – May 1, 1963)
- Elias Jan Bonai (May 1, 1963 – November 26, 1964)
- Frans Kaisiepo (November 26, 1964 – March 1, 1973, and March 1, 1973 – June 29, 1973)
Governors of Irian Jaya
- Acub Zainal (June 29, 1973 – March 31, 1975)
- Soetran (March 31, 1975 – August 12, 1975 ; August 12, 1975 – September 4, 1980 ; September 4, 1980 – January 20, 1981)
- Busiri Suryowinoto (January 20, 1981 – August 4, 1982)
- Izaac Hindom (August 4, 1982 – November 12, 1982 ; November 12, 1982 – November 18, 1987 ; November 18,1987 – April 13, 1988)
- Barnabas Suebu (April 13, 1988 – April 13, 1993)
- Jacob Pattipi ( April 13, 1993 – April 9, 1998)
- Freddy Numberi (April 9, 1998 – January 1, 2000, and January 1, 2000 – April 15, 2000)
Governors of Papua
- Jacobus Perviddya Solossa (November 23, 2000 – November 23, 2005, and November 23, 2005 – December 19, 2005)
- Barnabas Suebu (July 25, 2006- July 26, 2011)
- Lukas Enembe (April 9, 2013 – April 9, 2018, and September 5, 2018 – Now)
Facts About Governors of Papua
Zainal Abidin Syah
Zainal Abisin Syah was born on Agustus 15, 1912 in Soasiu, Tidore Island. He is the first Governor of Irian Barat. At first, he only served as a temporary Governor due to conflict between Indonesia and the Netherlands, which made President Soekarno establish the liberation island in” Irian Barat,” which is the capital of his hometown.
He was appointed as a Governor because he was also the Sultan of Tidore since 1947. Even though his leadership ended in 1961, on May 4, 1962, he was declared the Official Governor of Papua Barat through. After his leadership’s time as Governor ended, he still contributed as the Sultan of Tidore until 1967.
Frans Kaisiepo
He was born on October 10, 1921, in Biak, Papua. Before he served as a Governor, he was well-known as an important figure who has contributed a lot to freeing “Irian Barat” from Netherlandsand’s authority through Malino Conference. He also gave an idea to change the name Papua into Irian and rejected the formation of “Indonesia Negara Timur.”
Through his dedication to freeing “Irian Barat,” he was believed to have become a Governor and served from 1964 until 1973 for two terms. Not only that, but he also was given an award as a national hero. On December 19, 2016, Bank Indonesia released the ten thousand rupiahs paper money form with his figure on it.
Freddy Numberi
On October 15, 1947, he was born in Yapen Weropen, Papua. Throughout his life, He served as a soldier in the navy and retired in 1996. In 1998, he was appointed as a Governor of Papua and served until 2000. From 1999 until 2004, he served as the Minister of States to utilize the State Apparatus.
He was also chosen as Indonesian Ambassador to Malta and Italia by Megawati Soekarnoputri, who served as the president. Then, he was chosen by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) as the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries in 2004 and served until 2009. He also became the Minister of Transportation from 2009 until 2011.
Lukas Enembe
Since Irian Jaya changed into Papua, Lukas Enembe has been the first person to serve as Governor twice. First, he was chosen as a Governor in 2013 for five years. Then, he was selected again in 2018 and has served until now.
Previously, he has served as a Civil Servant candidate at the Social and Political Office of Merauke Regency. He also served as a Vice-Regent of Puncak Jaya Regency from 2001 until 2005 and was appointed as a Regent in 2007.
These are lists of governors in Papua and some facts about them. Through their hard work and dedication while serving, this province is slowly growing in some aspects like the economy, tourism, health, infrastructure, and others. Surely, Papua still needs some time and effort to become a better province. To create a better Papua for the next generation, it needs involvement and cooperation from all parties, including the government and its citizens.
