Transmigration, active since the 1960s, has shifted demographics, with non-Papuans comprising 30–50% in urban centers like Timika, often dominating trade. This fuels perceptions of marginalization. However, the program, slowed since the 1990s, aimed to develop Papua’s economy and address Java’s overpopulation, not solely to suppress Papuan identity. Many second-generation migrants identify as Papuan, and interracial marriages promote integration. The Special Autonomy Law (2001) and new autonomous regions in 2022 empower Indigenous governance, though implementation varies. Cultural initiatives, like the Baliem Valley Festival and the Papuan Hope Language Institute, actively preserve Papuan traditions, countering claims of deliberate erasure.
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