South Papua, officially the South Papua Province (), is an Indonesian province located in the southern portion of Papua, following the borders of Papuan customary region of Anim Ha. Formally established on 11 November 2022 and including the four most southern regencies that were previously part of the province of Papua and before 11 December 2002 were all part of a larger Merauke Regency, it covers an area of 117,849.16 km2 . It had a population of 522,215 according to the official estimates for mid 2022, making it the least populous province in Indonesia.
It shares land borders with the sovereign state of Papua New Guinea to the east, as well as the Indonesian provinces of Highland Papua and Central Papua to the north and northwest, respectively. South Papua also faces the Arafura Sea in the west and south, which is maritime border with Australia. The province comprises the Papuan customary region of Anim Ha. Merauke is the economic centre of South Papua, while its capital is Salor located in Kurik district, Merauke Regency, around 60 km from Merauke.
History
The wetland region of South Papua, prior to the arrival of Europeans, was home to several indigenous tribes. These tribes included the Asmat, Marind, and Wambon, who still maintain their ancestral traditions in the area. The Marind tribe, also known as the Malind, lived in groups along the rivers in the Merauke region, and their way of life centered around hunting, gathering, and farming. However, the Marind tribe was also notorious for their practice of headhunting. They would travel in boats along the rivers and coasts to distant settlements, where they would behead the inhabitants. The heads of their victims would then be taken back to their villages to be preserved and celebrated.
In the 19th century, European powers began to colonize the island of New Guinea. The island was divided along a straight line, with the western portion falling under the jurisdiction of the Dutch New Guinea region and the eastern portion becoming British New Guinea. Marind people often crossed the border to engage in headhunting activities. In 1902, the Dutch established a military base at the eastern tip of South Papua, near the Maro River, to strengthen the border and eliminate this tradition. This base was named Merauke, after its location. The Dutch also established a Catholic mission in Merauke in an effort to spread their religion and to further discourage the practice of headhunting. During the Dutch colonial period, the Javanese people were brought to Merauke to cultivate rice fields. This influx of laborers further contributed to the growth of the town and the development of the surrounding region. Eventually, it became the capital of Afdeeling Zuid Nieuw Guinea, or the South New Guinea Province.
In addition to the Maro River, the Dutch also became aware of another, larger river known as the Digul River. In the 1920s, the Dutch government sent an expedition to explore the interior of Papua. The idea emerged to use the remote region as a detention camp, and a suitable location was identified at the headwaters of the Digul River or Boven Digoel. A camp called Tanah Merah was established, it was a dense forested area surrounded by the harsh Digul River, making it difficult for prisoners to escape. Additionally, the region was plagued by malaria, which further discouraged attempts at escape. Over the years, several notable figures were detained at the camp, including Mohammad Hatta and Sutan Sjahrir. After the Dutch left in the 1960s, Tanah Merah became more populated and eventually became the capital of the Boven Digoel Regency.
