This research revisits the puzzling nexus between development and separatist conflict. One body of literature argues that development is beneficial in resolving separatist conflict, while another maintains otherwise. This raises the question: Under what circumstances has development tamed or fueled separatist conflict? Working with a case study of Papua, this research expects to answer this question. It argues that development fails to tame separatist conflict due to the nature of its approach, which lacks sensitivity to conflict background. Upon the implementation of asymmetrical decentralization in 2001, the national government gradually employed a neo-centralist approach in planning and implementing development. This creates a sense of deprivation in terms of both process and outcome of development. The approach fuels conflict even further. The finding implies the importance of more robust local engagement and decentralized arrangement in any development undertakings. 

 

Keywords: Development; Separatist Conflict; Asymetrical Decentralization; Papua