Recurrent Frontiers: Land Dispossession, Illegal Resource Extraction and Environmental Degradation in Sorong, West Papua

Abstract

Over the past decade, during the tenure of President Joko Widodo, West Papua has undergone a process that Jason and Michael (2019) describe as a “recurring frontier”, whereby frontiers emerge, evolve and are continually redefined. The situation there is exemplified by a number of intertwined “frontier indicators”, which in this article are focused on military threats, the corrupt bureaucracy surrounding infrastructure and the environmental disasters of deforestation and flooding. The paper is based on reflections from fieldwork in Sorong greater area (Sorong Raya) between 2019 and 2023. It indicates several developments occurring at the micro level in Sorong including the history of threats and violence that have created frontiers and overlapping bureaucratic governance, resulting in urban environmental degradation. The creation of frontiers for Papuans is not only currently underway but is also envisioned as a future project to be developed across Papua. Reflecting on this specific case in Sorong, West Papua, it is anticipated that frontier areas will emerge throughout Papua in the future.