Waropen Regent Urges North Papua to Bloom: "Six Indigenous Regions Have Been, Saireri is Delayed"

WAROPEN - Bupati Earopen Fransiscus Xaverius Mote menegaskan pemekaran di Tanah Papua bukan sekadar urusan administrasi. Ia menyebut pemekaran harus dibaca sebagai wujud kehadiran negara yang adil, setara, dan menghormati fondasi sosial-budaya orang asli Papua sesuai semangat Otonomi Khusus (Otsus).

Mote conveyed this when interacting with the aspirations for the establishment of the North Papua Province, which continues to be voiced by the people and the government in the Saireri customary area. He assessed that there was a serious imbalance in the implementation of state policies in Papua because of the seven customary areas, only six have been divided into provinces.

"Papua has seven customary areas as the basis for the social, political, and cultural life of the original Papuans. However, in fact, only six customary areas have been expanded into provinces. The Saireri customary area is still held back. This indicates that the Otsus promise has not been fully realized," said Mote when contacted in Waropen, Wednesday (11/2/2026).

He detailed the seven Papuan customary areas, namely Mamta, Saireri, La Pago, Mee Pago, Anim Ha, Domberai, and Bomberai. In the expansion policy, Mamta became the Papua Province with its capital in Jayapura. Bomberai gave birth to the West Papua Province with its capital in Manokwari, while Domberai was expanded into the South West Papua Province with its center of government in Sorong. La Pago is now the Mountain Papua Province with its capital in Wamena, Mee Pago is the Central Papua Province with its capital in Nabire, and Anim Ha is designated as the South Papua Province with its center of government in Merauke.

Meanwhile, Saireri - which includes Biak Numfor, Supiori, Yapen Islands, and Waropen - according to Mote has not received the same rights, although it has a strong maritime cultural character and a strategic position in the Gulf of Cendrawasih.

Mote also reminded that the idea of expanding Papua based on seven customary areas was initiated by the late Lukas Enembe to bring public services closer together while ensuring the involvement of the Papua People's Assembly as a cultural representation of the original Papuans.

In terms of regulation, he referred to PP Number 106 of 2021 Article 93 paragraph (1) which gives the authority to expand Papua by the central government together with the DPR RI. "Legally there is no reason to delay. What is needed today is political courage," he said.

As a concrete step, the Association of the Regent of the Saireri Indigenous Region is scheduled to hold a coordination meeting on February 12, 2026 at the Biak Numfor State Building to accelerate the establishment of the North Papua Province based on Saireri. "If the six indigenous regions have become provinces, then Saireri must also get certainty. The arrangement of Papua must be intact based on seven indigenous regions - no one should be left behind," he concluded.