Ceritalah ASEAN - In Sorong: hope and promise

SORONG is booming. With 9.3% GDP growth in 2016 (almost double the national average) and located on the westernmost point of Papua, the 300,000-strong city is fast-becoming a regional transport and logistics hub, boosted by its proximity to the fabled Raja Ampat islands and the ever-elusive bird of paradise.

However, Sorong isn't a pretty sight. In fact, the city feels as if it's still emerging from the scrubland – its urban sprawl stretching many kilometres into the interior, far from the waterfront that's now bustling with activity.

Having spent some time in Papua recently, I was very curious how the younger generation – the city's millennials – viewed their future.

Were they optimistic? Did they see the new airport, port and Trans Papua Highway as the harbingers of a prosperous future? How were relations between indigenous Papuans and newer communities – the Bugis, Javanese and Minahassans?

I met three 18-year-old students: Maria Hestina, Maria Korwa and Mega Imbiri. All three were studying at the city's largest tertiary institution, the Sorong Muhammadiyah University.

Maria Hestina's background was unusual. The daughter of transmigrants, her family was originally from Flores in East Nusa Tenggara. Her parents – now divorced – weren't well-to-do. Her father was a labourer while her mother sold petrol and fruits at the market. Maria Hestina and her sister lived with her mother while her younger brother was with her father.

"As the eldest of three siblings, and the first to go to university, there's a lot of hope pinned on me. My sister is 12 years old and my brother is only 7 – I have to set an example for them."

Maria Korwa's family has been in Papua for generations. She was the product of an inter-religious marriage: her father was Muslim while her mother was Christian. In an arrangement that is common in Indonesia, her brothers were Muslim but she and her sisters were Christian.

"My entire family is scattered across the Republic. I have 6 siblings: two are in Jakarta, two in Raja Ampat, one in Pulau Doom (Doom Island) and another in Manokwari. It's reassuring to know that wherever I go, I will have someone to rely on. Someday, I too will make my own way."

Mega Imbiri was the daughter of a fisherman and a housewife, both of whom are Papuan natives.

"My father has to go out to sea every day and sometimes comes back with very few fish. He has to brave the rain, the waves and saltwater. As a child I would hold his hands; they were always coarse."

"I want to be an office worker. I imagine myself leaving the house at 8am in neatly-pressed clothes and ending work at 4pm to return my family. That's the life I want."

Papua has long been considered a restive, troubled part of Indonesia.

However, Sorong on the very "tip" of the island has largely escaped the turmoil of the interior.

Instead, the city has benefited enormously from the current administration's focus on strengthening transportation links with the rest of the republic – creating a boom that more than matches Timika, the central Papuan town, home to Grasberg, the world's largest gold mine and second largest copper mine run by the controversial American miner Freeport-McMoran.

The three young women present a positive "spin" to the Eastern Indonesian region. Their religious diversity is remarkable – Maria Hestina is Catholic, Maria Korwa is Pentecostal Christian and Mega Imbiri is Protestant. Maria Hestina is a first-generation transmigrant while Maria Korwa and Mega Imbiri are natives.

The three of them, all close friends, work together at a Christmas booth in Sorong's Ramayana Mall (named after the ancient Hindu epic), selling bags.

They are all studying in the same class, working towards a degree in Public Administration – a diverse group brought together at a university founded by the second-largest Islamic organisation in the country.

Maria Korwa is unequivocal about the province's problems.

"There's a lot of crime in Sorong. Every day, there are muggings, fuelled by alcoholism and drug addiction – including glue-sniffing among youths."

Maria Hestina adds: "Around 2005-2006, the water supply was very unreliable and we often suffered from blackouts. It has improved since then, but there's still a long way to go."

"The price of petrol has also gone up – it's now IDR5000 per litre. I know because my mother sells petrol; people are finding it difficult to cope."

Mega Imbiri has her own take.

"Development is difficult in Papua. The terrain is hilly and heavily forested. It will take years before projects see results. What makes me very happy is the attention Jokowi (Indonesian President Joko Widodo) has been giving Papua. He's visited the island more times than any other president before him."

All of them nod vigorously in approval.

The administration's initiatives have already begun to bear fruit. Maria Hestina noted that under former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jokowi, primary and secondary education was made free. Last Dec 20, the government announced plans to bring electricity to the whole of Papua and build new roads.

"My goal is to become a civil servant. I want to play a role in developing my home," says Maria Korwa.

"Me too!" shouts Mega Imbiri, who later sheepishly adds, "It's also a really decent job."

Maria Hestina laughs.

"You can all serve the government! I will have my own business, providing goods to people at a fair price. There's more than one way to contribute!"

The trio burst out in laughter.

So while the two provinces (Papua and West Papua) continue to represent a major challenge to Indonesian unity and stability – the eagle-eyed focus on economic growth has brought tangible gains to their people.

It's this transformation that may well hold the key to binding the island of Papua to Indonesia.

Admittedly, this is a very positive take – that the current administration's focus on economic grievances is having an impact.

But is it enough?