"Boven Digoel" redirects here. For the concentration camp, see Boven-Digoel concentration camp.
Boven Digoel Regency
Kabupaten Boven Digoel
Regency
Coat of arms of Boven Digoel Regency
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
Nup Bagen Ngup Bagenep
(I Am Because You Are)
91.16.00 Papua Boven Digoel.svg
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; 140.3482Coordinates: 5°44′24″S 140°20′54″E / 5.7400°S 140.3482°E / -5.7400; 140.3482
Country Indonesia
ProvinceSouth Papua
Regency seatTanahmerah
Government
 • RegentVacant
 • Vice RegentChaerul Anwar
Area
 • Total27,108.29 km2 (10,466.57 sq mi)
Population
 (2020 Census)[1]
 • Total64,285
 • Density2.4/km2 (6.1/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Indonesia Eastern Time)
Area code(+62) 975
Websitebovendigoelkab.go.id

Boven Digoel Regency is a regency (kabupaten) in the northern part of the Indonesian province of South Papua. It is split off from Merauke Regency (of which it used to be a part) on 12 November 2002. 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 administrative centre is the town of Tanahmerah.

Administrative districts[edit]

The regency comprises twenty districts (distrik), tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census[4] and the 2020 Census.[5] The table also includes the location of the district administrative centres and the number of administrative villages (rural desa and urban kelurahan) in each district.

District Area
in km2		 Population
2010 Census		 Population
2020 Census		 Admin
centre		 No. of
villages
Jair 3,061.73 17,482 18,179 Getentiri 5
Subur 2,660.09 1,224 1,470 Subur 5
Ki 2,050.60 1,701 1,729 Ujung Kia 4
Mindiptana 448.17 3,622 3,799 Mindiptana 13
Iniyandit 379.65 833 1,006 Langgoan 5
Kombut 660.93 691 1,135 Kombut 4
Sesnukt 1,306.63 2,102 918 Sesnukt 5
Mandobo 2,699.51 12,840 20,027 Tanahmerah 5
Fofi 2,466.70 1,987 2,690 Makmur/Ikisi 8
Arimop 1,311.77 1,270 1,631 Maju 7
Kouh 467.25 1,186 1,093 Kouh 3
Bomakia 1,082.95 2,196 2,475 Bomakia 5
Firiwage 1,219.97 1,088 845 Firiwage 4
Manggelum 1,289.65 1,188 836 Manggelum 6
Yaniruma 1,611.04 866 1,025 Yaniruma 3
Kawagit 904.23 1,001 1,139 Kawagit 6
Kombay 830.91 1,263 1,028 Wanggemalo 5
Waropko 1,086.97 1,910 1,993 Waropko 9
Ambatkwi 1,282.38 743 449 Kuken 5
Ninati 287.07 591 818 Ninati 5
Totals 27,108.29 55,784 64,285 Tanahmerah 112

History[edit]

Communist prisoners to Boven Digoel in 1927; 96 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 who had been exiled there 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 succeeded in winning, the prisoners were returned to their original places in Indonesia.

The camp was reused to imprison Indonesian nationalist from Papua during West New Guinea dispute such as J.A. Dimara, Petrus Korwa and Hanoch Rumbrar.[6][7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.
  2. ^ Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
  3. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.
  4. ^ Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
  5. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ Sitompul, Martin (2020-12-03). "Mengenal 5 Pahlawan Nasional Asal Papua". Historia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2022-01-16.

External links[edit]

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