Indonesian New Guinea Adventure Guide. David Pickell
'"Victorious Irian." The methods chosen by the Indonesian government have been often criticized, but considering the state of affairs in West Papua at the time, it would have been difficult to administer a true plebiscite.
The Indonesianization of West New Guinea did not progress smoothly. In 1967, aircraft were used against Arfak tribesmen near Manokwari and rebellions broke out on Biak and around Enarotali, near the Paniai Lakes. And a number of early Indonesian government policies were misguided—such as Operasi Koteka, designed to get the highlanders to quit wearing their penis sheaths.
Dissatisfaction led to local unrest, and in areas an independence movement arose: the Organisasi Papua Merdeka ("Free Papua Movement"). The OPM was formed as the result of blunt actions by the government and unrealistic expectations of self-rule, fanned by the Dutch. When the Dutch saw the tenability of their position in West Papua fading, they quickly set up elected councils and other trappings of self-rule—with the full knowledge that Indonesian rule was inevitable, and perhaps even desirable. Today, military commanders are still reluctant to open certain areas of West Papua to tourism because of OPM activity.
One of the most controversial of Indonesia's West Papuan policies has been its transmigration program, begun in the 1960s, wherein the government has been relocating people from overpopulated Java to Sumatra, Kalimantan (Borneo), Sulawesi (Celebes) and West Papua.
Initially, transmigration encountered some problems, such as relocating Javanese rice farmers on land that was used as a hunting and gathering ground by the local population. Moreover, the land was often not even fertile enough to grow rice. The government now takes traditional land rights into account when settling transmigrants, and the sites are chosen with greater care. It has also dramatically scaled down the program.
A more recent and encouraging change, initiated in early 2000 by the new government of President Wahid, has been to change the name of Irian Jaya to West Papua.
While most of West Papua's infrastructure is lacking, there are several areas in this province with more than adequate facilities, including accommodations and transportation, and basic tourism infrastructure.
Regular air services are an important part of West Papua's modernization. This Merpati Twin-Otter is at the Karubaga Airstrip.
The popular "Base G" beach, just north of Jayapura, takes its name from a World War II Allied base. Although deserted here, it is a very popular site with Jayapurans on weekends.
A dancer from the island of Numfor, a short hop from Biak. Numfor is a beautiful, and rarely visited island.
PART II
Biak and
the North
Jayapura, on the north coast of West Papua, and the large islands north of Cenderawasih Bay are the easiest parts of West Papua to visit, with well-developed communications and transportation networks, and plenty of hotels and restaurants to choose from.
Biak, formerly the first Indonesian stop for travelers flying Garuda Indonesia from the United States, was for most a groggy refueling break on the way to Bali or Java. But Biak, and neighboring Supiori, Numfor and Yapen Islands, are charming places to visit in their own right.
Biak is the best-known of the former Schouten Islands, and the most populated. The town has some lively markets, and an interesting harbor. Inland, one can visit the eerie caves where Japanese soldiers hid during World War II, and a small museum full of relics. Further out from the town, one encounters beautiful waterfalls and reefs.
The Padaido Islands, which dot the sea southeast of Biak, are ringed with coral and offer fine snorkeling in perhaps the richest and most unspoiled reefs in all of Indonesia.
For secluded beaches and near-shore snorkeling, head to nearby Numfor, a beautiful and lightly populated island. Thickly forested Yapen looms just across the water south of Biak. If the weather is good, one can see it clearly from the Biak harbor. The island's forests host the beautiful birds of paradise, and the shores have numerous sandy coves fine for swimming and snorkeling.
Jayapura, West Papua's capital and largest city, began its life as a Dutch port and administrative center. The city was placed here to mark the border with the German colony just a stone's throw away, and one can see into Papua New Guinea from the hills north of town. For many years, Hollandia was a small, backwater town, but it suddenly leaped onto the world stage during World War II as a staging point for General MacArthur's Pacific island hopping campaign.
Today, it is a thriving city of 170,000 with, in addition to West Papuans, a mixed population of Javanese, Makassarese and Bugis Muslims, as well as many Ambonese and Manadonese Christians. Jayapura is one of the few places in West Papua with paved roads and public transportation—including private taxis—and travel around the area is easy.
The Cenderawasih University Museum, in nearby Abepura, has a fine collection of artifacts from West Papua, and another nearby museum, the Negeri, displays objects of material culture from West Papua's various ethnic groups. A visit to these two museums is a good way to get some background before heading to the highlands or the south coast.
From Jayapura, a short hop to Yotefa Bay offers the spectacle of scattered World War II relics—half-sunken ships, beached tanks and landing craft. Or your boatman can take you to nearby fishing villages that consist of huts mounted on a forest of stilts. At high tide, the water reaches a meter-and-a-half beneath the village; at low tide, a wide expanse of mud flats is revealed, which, in at least one area, becomes a makeshift soccer field.
Nearby Lake Sentani, dotted with islands offers a stunning panorama of velvet-green hills easing their way into the lake. A meal of crispy lake fish and even water-skiing are possible here.
Drop by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Jayapura office in Angkasa for information and maps on visiting any of the more than 50 conservation areas in West Papua, and to the Provincial Department of Forestry (KSDA) in Kotaraja for the required permits to visit restricted areas.
BIAK
Strategic
Island to West
Papua's North
When Biak served as a major air stopover on Garuda Airlines' flight to and from the United States, most passengers didn't even bother to disembark. This is a shame, because although Biak is not really developed for tourism, the island is rich in history and natural beauty.
Biak islanders are Melanesians, ethnically and culturally distinct from the majority of "mainland" West Papuans. Unlike other parts of West Papua, like the Baliem Valley, the traditional culture here has for the most part been wiped out by missionaries, and today everyone routinely dresses in western clothes.
But elements of the old lifestyle remain. Traditional drumming and dances, and fire-walking displays, still take place—although today these activities are not common, and must be arranged specially for visitors.
The bride price, still widely used on Biak, consists of antique porcelain plates, silver bracelets made from old Dutch or American coins, and cash money. The average value is currently $350. The wedding feasts, where this exchange is made, are often lavish affairs. Other rites of passage—such as a child's first haircut—are also honored. Magic still plays a role in Biak, particularly in attracting abundant catches of fish.
During World War II, in fact, tiny Biak loomed large on the