West Papua is famous for the many tours contained in it, it is not surprising that many people want to stay there. Not only that, Papua’s natural and mineral wealth has made many companies tempted by it.
There are interesting things about the land of Papua apart from its natural resources and various natural beauties. Migration of people is one of the best ways to control territory. This method is considered more effective and cheaper than sending troops.
The troops were meant to protect the colony and this theory is apt to describe the difficulties the Dutch had in touching the land of Papua since the 19th century. The colonial government did not have sufficient funds to expand to the eastern tip of the archipelago.
To overcome this, the colonization program began by relocating the population from java, where the center of the colonial government was located, to West Papua. The dutch in Merauke were tasked with preparing their area for the colonization program.
After that catholic missionaries participated in this program by collecting as much information as possible about the language and customs of the local people. The dutch also dispatched 155 Javanese family heads.
In the past, transmigration shows that the pioneering programs of the colonial government are starting to be revived. Transmigration was chosen by the Indonesian government cause it was considered nationalist and free from the impression of colonialism.
Transmigration is a Legacy of the Netherlands to Indonesia
Basically, the Indonesian government only continues the legacy of the Dutch policy to break down population density on the island of java. The Indonesian government’s first transmigration destinations at that time more often targeted areas with agricultural potential
West Papua was made the government’s transmigration on the grounds that the government felt that there was no more area for transmigration. The development of Islam in Manokwari, transmigration in the midst of the conflict made Papua a transmigration destination.
This raises various questions and irregularities. Since 1961 the Indonesian government has been aggressively fighting against the Dutch who wanted to form the state of West Papua. This then gave rise to a trikora that contained opposing the formation of a puppet.
The desire to overthrow the dutch government was strongly opposed by President Sukarno. Foreign minister soebandrio also said that the Javanese would not colonize Papua would not be part of the transmigration program that had been promoted.
However, it is undeniable that many Javanese people inhabited west Papua at that time. In addition to thanks to the colonization program 60 years ago, their arrival was accommodated by the dutch parktikelir group before independence.
The wave of population movement from java to Papua is very large. Other reports stated that they encountered various difficulties, especially in terms of land acquisition and housing as a place to live.
Difficulties That Occur in West Papua Transmigrants
The things experienced by transmigrants on the island of Papua from various difficulties in adapting began to be seen. Starting from the difficulty of trading to getting a stall as a place to live.
• Difficulty to trade
West Papua has access that is very difficult to reach for transportation problems. This will have an impact on trade on the island. Javanese people who are used to trading find it difficult to market their products and goods.
• Residence
The Javanese transmigration community in Papua has difficulty finding houses and land. Welfare and humanity on the island are still lacking and threaten the lives of the surrounding community. Their culture and customs are also much different from the Javanese people.
• Cultural adaptation
Transmigrants who move to Papua find it difficult to follow the culture in Papua. West Papua is famous for the thick culture that is still attached to the descendants of their ancestors. But they will feel more comfortable about the culture.
Approach to Welfare and Humanity in Papua
The wave of transmigration that was directed in high numbers through the five-year development plan actually triggered social jealousy. Some local people think that the central government is trying to seize Papua by indonesianizing Papuan land.
This is of course by making it Indonesian and its contents through the transmigration program. The new order government was seen as unilaterally setting a standard of living based on Javanese culture and way of life.
Many books on how to grow rice, even the construction of houses all follow what is on the island of java. Not to mention that transmigrants from java who arrive in the West Papua region always get a superior position compared to the local community.
Javanese transmigrants generally live in new cities bordering Papua new guinea. Meanwhile, people who move to Papua on their own consciousness are more likely to live in urban areas. They are the preferred workforce for office and corporate positions.
The number of Javanese who participates in this transmigrant program is always increasing. The new order government was noted to have succeeded in placing less than 41,701 transmigrants. Some of these transmigrants came from java, Bugis, and Makassar.
Those who become transmigrants by the government must adapt to the environment. However, it is hoped that the government will be fair in all respects to transmigrants who move as well as the local community of West Papua.
