By: Yusac Ceasar) *

There will be more territorial expansion in Papua. The public shouldn’t be surprised, because this is aimed at the welfare of the people. When an area is divided, development will be accelerated. So that even distribution of progress on the Earth of Cendrawasih will quickly materialize. Back in the New Order era, Papua was called Irian Jaya and only consisted of 1 province. However, later it was changed to Papua and its territory was expanded into 2 provinces, namely Papua and West Papua. After there are 2 provinces, there will be additional areas in Papua. Later in Papua there will be regional expansion and adding 3 more provinces. Namely Central Papua, Central Papua Papua, and South Papua. Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian stated that the division of the region in Papua was the government’s effort to accelerate development there. For example, Manokwari and Sorong are more advanced after the province of West Papua. Tito added that the Papua region is very large. In that sense, if there are more provinces, local governments can focus more on boosting development. The funds channeled to the regional government will be used for the modernization of Papua, and the money will use the special autonomy budget. Because expansion is one of the special autonomy revision agendas. Otsus will be extended in 2021 because it is very useful for the progress of Papua. During the Special Autonomy Volume 1, there were already Youtefa Bridge, Sentani International Airport, and various infrastructure built. When the Special Autonomy is continued and there is a regional expansion, it is hoped that various other public facilities will be built with the special autonomy fund. The division of this area was not only based on orders from the central government, but in consultation with traditional leaders in the MRP and DPRP. They agree with this division, so that the Papua region will be more advanced. So that there is no imbalance between eastern and western Indonesia. One of the benefits of regional expansion is the accelerated progress of society. When there is a new province, the budget from the central government can be disbursed. Local governments can build new infrastructure, such as bridges, school buildings, health centers, and others. So that the community will benefit. Because you don’t have to go to another faraway area just for treatment. In addition, regional expansion is also useful for facilitating service coverage. When there are only 2 provinces, people in remote areas will find it difficult, because they have to travel many kilometers to reach the capital. However, when there are 5 provinces, the distance from their house to the capital city is getting closer, and it makes it easier to take care of important documents. When there is regional expansion, it will facilitate regional autonomy. A new governor will understand what the needs of his region are. He can build facilities according to community needs. For example, a new port, or directly surveying whether an airport can be built there, etc. People do not need to be afraid of the term pemekaran because this will not be confusing. If their territory changes name, just go with the flow and don’t get confused yourself. Trust the government that is expanding the territory, because all this is for the welfare of the people. Popular support is very important to facilitate regional expansion. When society is orderly, the process of forming a new province will run smoothly. They are willing to change the name of their area, believing that the government will provide the best for its people. The division of the region in Papua should not be seen as something negative. In fact, the purpose of regional expansion is for the welfare of the people. If there are new provinces, there will be a new spirit of development. So that Papua will be more advanced and not left behind from other regions. ) * The author is a Papuan student living in Solo