Abstract

South Papua, as the youngest administrative entity in Indonesia, faces a fundamental dilemma in executing the National Strategic Program (NPP) while maintaining the existence of indigenous communities that have been rooted for centuries. This perspective research examines the multifaceted implications of the NPP for traditional communities in South Papua covering the areas of Merauke, Asmat, Mappi, and Bovendigoel, with an emphasis on the tension between development acceleration and cultural heritage preservation.
Using qualitative descriptive analysis methodology, this study explores the perspectives of four key stakeholder groups: traditional figures and community leaders, local government officials, academics and researchers, and activists and non-governmental organizations.
The results of the study reveal a sharp polarization of views, where the government bureaucracy shows optimism about achieving quantitative development targets such as accelerating the Human Development Index and reducing poverty. In contrast, traditional figures and civil society elements highlight qualitative impacts in the form of threats to cultural identity, disputes over inherited land, and fragmentation of conventional social structures.
The investigation shows that 60% of the younger generation experience a crisis of identity, a weakening of the communal cooperation system, and an escalation of social conflict due to the implementation of the hierarchical NPP. Although all parties recognize the benefits of infrastructure and accessibility of public services provided by the PSN, consensus indicates the urgency of transforming the development approach towards a more participatory and culturally sensitive model.
This study proposes the implementation of the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) principle, the formulation of an inclusive development model, and the incorporation of traditional wisdom into the development blueprint to achieve an equilibrium between modernization and conservation of the cultural heritage of South Papua.