Disertasi ini membahas Pemerintahan Kolonial Belanda di Nederlands Nieuw Guinea (Papua) pada periode 1898 hingga 1962. Penelitian ini mendeskripsikan motivasi penegakan kekuasaan dan ekspansi kolonial Belanda di NNG. Pendekatan struktural dan teori imperialisme modern digunakan untuk menjelaskan kausalitas umum dan unik ekspansi kolonial Belanda di NNG. Studi ini menemukan bahwa pembagian wilayah (pemekaran wilayah) pemerintahan kolonial Belanda di NNG diawali dengan kegiatan penjajakan wilayah untuk menetapkan pos pemerintahan dan batas wilayah, pembangunan sarana dan prasarana transportasi/komunikasi dan perekrutan aparat pemerintah yang mengenal wilayah dan berpengalaman dalam tugasnya serta memiliki semangat pengabdian yang tinggi. Syarat perekrutan aparat pemerintah tersebut dimaksudkan agar para aparat pemerintah mampu menghadapi lapangan kerja yang berat di wilayah pemekaran itu. Pembagian wilayah pemerintahan itu didasarkan pada pertimbangan geografis/akses transportasi, budaya, nilai ekonomis dan politis suatu wilayah yang akan dimekarkan. Kebijakan pemerintah tentang pemekaran wilayah bertujuan untuk memperpendek rentang kendali pemerintah kolonial atas wilayah dan penduduk NNG dan mendekatkan pelayanan pemerintah terhadap penduduknya.

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This dissertation focuses on the development of the Dutch colonial government in the Netherlands New Guinea (NNG) from 1898 to 1962. This research analyses the motivation of Dutch colonial expansion especially the establishment of government structures. Structural approach and imperialism theory are employed in order to explain both general and specific causes of Dutch colonial expansion. This study discovers that creation of new administrative units (pemekaran wilayah) was preceded by a number of activities as follows. Before defining location of government posts and administrative borders, many explorations had been done to gather sufficient knowledge about the area. These were followed by building infrastructures of transportation and communication. Public servant was recruited among candidates who had many experiences, good knowledge on the area, and high commitment to new jobs. With these criteria the new officials were expected to be prepared in handling tough fieldworks in the new area. This dissertation concludes that creation of new administrative units in general considered geographical condition, access to transport, cultural traits, economic and political values of the area. In principle the creation of new administrative units are done in order to shorten the distance between the government administrative center and the people.