When There Is No State

The Decentralization processes in the context of this case study have not yet resulted in a more flexible and decentralized structural relations between the Central Government and the Local Governments (both at the Provincial and at the Regency Levels) generally and also specifically in the Industrialization Strategy in The Oil and Gas Sector (1999-2009). The triangular relations between State, Market, and Society are fluid and internally fragmented within each pillar and externally contested between the three pillars.

Inclusive policies by the local governments have not yet been effective and efficient in targetting the most marginalized and socially excluded members of the local communities. The local governments need to have a clear and more affirmative policies focusing on the local communities welfare, including in-migration policies. The MNC (BP) Programs need to take into reconsideration the categorization of DAV and IAV local communities and the internal fragmentation within these communities.

The relations between the local communities and the local government are not as strong nor as dependent on compared to the relations between the local communities (especially DAV) with the MNC (BP). Collective actions are sporadic, so far only the IAV local communities have done so against the MNC (BP). At present, there is no indication yet of any process of social movement in the making on the local level.

The condition of no real role carried out by the State in the context of decentralization and industrialization strategy in West Papua can be traced back to several factors. These factors are the relations between natural resources and development, the process of decentralization, and the specific nature of the BP Tangguh Project in The Bay of Bintuni regency.