S

ince 2007, when President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono launched the new deal for Papua, the government has initiated numerous measures to improve the welfare of people in the natural resource-rich but long-neglected province.

The recent issuance of Presidential Decree No. 84/2012, which requires state and private companies doing construction projects to involve Papuan businesspeople in procurement of goods and services needed, is the latest of Jakarta’s moves to show its commitment to Papuan development.

Previous initiatives included scholarships for Papuan students to enroll in 32 state universities across the country, infrastructure projects to bring remote areas out of isolation and agriculture projects to enhance food security. The government’s intentions to empower the local population are also evident in its approval of a regional bylaw that restricts regional elections to candidates with Papuan blood only.

These pro-Papua policies have complemented the special autonomy status awarded to the provinces of Papua and West Papua that has resulted in the transfer of Rp 30 trillion (US$3.12 billion) in special autonomy funds over the last 12 years to improve the lives of Papuans.

The government expressed its seriousness in winning the hearts and minds of the Papuan people with the formation of the Special Unit of Acceleration of Development in Papua and West Papua (UP4B), which answers to the President, last year. Apart from dealing with policy matters, the new working unit has approached groups known for their critical views of the government and even separatist leanings.

Given the frequent reports of violence and aspirations for independence in Papua, however, it seems the government’s hard work has yet to pay dividends and is perhaps doomed to fail. Like it or not, resentment of Jakarta, which is still alive despite the government’s efforts, is a fact that the government has to accept.

The government may claim that the poverty rate in Papua and West Papua is declining, but the fact that the two remain the poorest provinces in the country, barely reflective of contributions the exploitation of their natural resources make to state revenue.

A huge amount of money did pour into Papua, but whether it really reached the people remains an unanswered question. The Supreme Audit Agency found Rp 3.34 trillion of special autonomy funds had been misused between 2002 and 2010, while the education and health standards of the local people have hardly improved as the lion’s share of the regional budgets went to the bureaucracy.

The government’s resettlement policy — transmigration — represents a potential time bomb in Papua if not handled with care. With migrant populations set to exceed the number of native people, Papuans will find a longer and more difficult path in closing the gap with the rest of the nation.

A newer and fairer deal is what Papuans need now.