Boven Digoel Regency is an inland regency (kabupaten) in the northeastern part of the Indonesian province of South Papua. It was split off from Merauke Regency (of which it used to be a part) on 12 November 2002. It is bordered to the south by the residual Merauke Regency, to the west by Mappi Regency, and to the north by the province of Highland Papua. At the same time, to the east lies the international border with Papua New Guinea.

Boven Digoel Regency
Kabupaten Boven Digoel
Coat of arms of Boven Digoel Regency
Motto(s): 
Nup Bagen Ngup Bagenep
(I Am Because You Are)
Boven Digoel Regency is located in Western New Guinea
Boven Digoel Regency
Boven Digoel Regency
Location in Western New Guinea and Indonesia
Boven Digoel Regency is located in Indonesia
Boven Digoel Regency
Boven Digoel Regency
Boven Digoel Regency (Indonesia)
Coordinates: 5°44′24″S 140°20′54″E / 5.7400°S 140.3482°E / -5.7400; 140.3482
Country Indonesia
ProvinceSouth Papua
Regency seatTanah Merah
Government
 • RegentVacant
 • Vice RegentChaerul Anwar
Area
 • Total27,108.29 km2 (10,466.57 sq mi)
Population
 (mid 2023 estimate)[1]
 • Total67,109
 • Density2.5/km2 (6.4/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Indonesia Eastern Time)
Area code(+62) 975
Websitebovendigoelkab.go.id

The regency covers an area of 27,108.29 km2 (10,466.57 sq mi), and the total population was 55,784 at the 2010 Census[2] and 64,285 at the 2020 Census;[3] the official estimate as of mid-2023 was 67,109.[1] The administrative centre is the town of Tanah Merah (or Persatuan kampung) in the Mandobo District.

Administrative districts

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The regency comprises twenty districts (distrik), tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census[2] and the 2020 Census,[3] together with the official estimates as of mid-2023.[1] The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages (kampung) in each district, and their postcode.

Kode
Wilayah
Name of
District
(distrik)
Area
in
km2
Pop'n
2010
Census
Pop'n
2020
Census
Pop'n
mid-2023
Estimate
Admin
centre
No.
of
villages
Post
code
93.02.05 Jair 3,061.73 17,482 18,179 15,416 Getentiri 5 99651
93.02.15 Subur 2,660.09 1,224 1,470 1,603 Subur 5 99653
93.02.19 Ki 2,050.60 1,701 1,729 1,968 Ujungkia 4 99652
93.02.02 Mindiptana 448.17 3,622 3,799 4,283 Mindiptana 13 99663
93.02.08 Iniyandit 379.65 833 1,006 1,133 Langgoan 5 99661
93.02.07 Kombut 660.93 691 1,135 1,299 Kombut 4 99662
93.02.18 Sesnuk 1,306.63 2,102 918 661 Sesnuk 5 99664
93.02.01 Mandobo 2,699.51 12,840 20,027 22,056 Tanah Merah 5 99674
93.02.10 Fofi 2,466.70 1,987 2,690 2,804 Makmur/Ikisi 8 99673
93.02.09 Arimop 1,311.77 1,270 1,631 2,209 Maju 7 99671
93.02.04 Kouh 467.25 1,186 1,093 1,393 Kouh 3 99655
93.02.06 Bomakia 1,082.95 2,196 2,475 2,691 Bomakia I 5 99672
93.02.13 Firiwage 1,219.97 1,088 845 1,233 Firiwage 4 99691
93.02.12 Manggelum 1,289.65 1,188 836 1,032 Manggelum 6 99692
93.02.14 Yaniruma 1,611.04 866 1,025 1,238 Yaniruma 3 99685
93.02.20 Kawagit 904.23 1,001 1,139 1,306 Kawagit 6 99654
93.02.16 Kombay 830.91 1,263 1,028 1,212 Wanggemalo 5 99682
93.02.03 Waropko 1,086.97 1,910 1,993 1,824 Woropko 9 99684
93.02.11 Ambatkwi 1,282.38 743 449 661 Kuken 5 99681
93.02.17 Ninati 287.07 591 818 1,087 Ninati 5 99683
Totals 27,108.29 55,784 64,285 67,109 Tanah Merah 112

History

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Communist prisoners to Boven Digoel in 1927; 97 years ago (1927)

In the Dutch East Indies era, the present Boven Digoel Regency was known as Digul Atas (Upper Digul), located on the banks of the Digul River.

Boven-Digoel was a Dutch prison camp in the Dutch East Indies at the headwaters of the Digul River, where Indonesian nationalists and communists were interned between 1928 and 1942. Initially set to accommodate prisoners of the 1926 revolt led by the Communist Party of Indonesia, Boven-Digoel later was used as an exile for the national movement figures with a recorded number of prisoners of 1,308 people. Among the figures exiled, were Mohammad Hatta, Sutan Syahrir, Sayuti Melik, and Marco Kartodikromo.

 
Statue in rememberence of Muhammad Hatta near the airport and former prison building.

When the Pacific War broke out and Japan occupied Indonesia, Boven-Digoel prisoners were evacuated by the Dutch to Australia. The transfer was based on concerns that the prisoners would rebel if they remained at Boven-Digoel. It was hoped that the Indonesians brought to Australia would help the Dutch. It turned out that these political prisoners influenced the Australian trade union to boycott the Dutch ships that landed in the country. After the Allies won, the prisoners were returned to their original places in Indonesia.

The camp was reused to imprison Indonesian nationalists from Papua during the West New Guinea dispute such as J.A. Dimara, Petrus Korwa, and Hanoch Rumbrar.[4][5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, Kabupaten Boven Digoel Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.9302)
  2. ^ a b Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
  3. ^ a b Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.
  4. ^ Materay, Bernarda; Wabisay, Yan Dirk (2020-07-01). "PERTUMBUHAN NASIONALISME INDONESIA DI KALANGAN ORANG PAPUA 1963--1969 GROWTH OF INDONESIA NATIONALISM AMONG THE PAPUANS 1963--1969". Masyarakat Indonesia. 45 (1): 1–18. doi:10.14203/jmi.v45i1.883. ISSN 2502-5694. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  5. ^ Sitompul, Martin (2020-12-03). "Mengenal 5 Pahlawan Nasional Asal Papua". Historia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2022-01-16.
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